Buried, as we are, deep inside the Capitol Beltway (a real ring road circling Washington DC and political metaphor for being out of touch with the rest of America), our stories mostly reflect the voice of officialdom -- politicians, agency heads, interest group representatives, spokespersons, authorities.
It makes sense, of course, because these are the people whose activities make "news," as we define it (although by the time you've covered the third congressional hearing on the same subject with essentially the same witnesses, that definition needs to be very elastic). What we don't often do, buried, as we are, deep inside the Beltway and writing for business publications, is listen to the voices of "regular" people from beyond the metaphorical Beltway.
Within the last several days, this reporter wrote stories about public comments submitted to the Federal Trade Commission on its inquiry into alleged oil price manipulation; and to the National Highway Trafffic Safety Administration, about its draft proposal to raise automotive fuel economy standards. The stories focused on statements from the usual suspects. However, dozens of private citizens also submitted comments which this reporter largely ignored (not newsworthy), and which, one suspects, the agencies will file and forget. Thus, selected at random and edited only for space, the following is small effort to give a hearing to those unofficial voices:
Lawrence Barton, from Ohio: "It's about time Congress passes a law suspending futures trading on natural gas and crude oil. Let supply and demand reflect the price, there is no shortage of either product, the speculators are getting rich and at the same time sending our country into a recession and a lower standard of living."
Manuel Chavez, New Mexico: "Greetings, I am a simple unemployed carpenter. I have watched the price of everything related to oil climb at a rate that my high school education cannot understand...Someone or some group of exceedingly greedy and wicked people are manipulating prices for financial gain...Oil and gasoline are in the hands of people with no conscience, no heart."
Johnny Herring, Arkansas: "We, the people, are tired of the manipulation of the market by third parties... We need windfall profit taxes on the oil companies that could only be deducted for exploration and rebates to consumers. Oil and gas should not be considered a luxury item."
Joy, from Pennsylvania: "It is time for congress to pass legislation to suspend trading of oil in the market immediately...Hardworking people of the US are suffering because of this torture by oil in their daily lives."
Mike Mazur, Georgia: "The FTC must be given more power to control the speculation that affects our gas prices. And it is necessary to ensure that the FTC actually uses that power. Let's mandate these oversights and controls to help the American people. Not continue this 'raping' by a select few."
Donald C. Frisco, from Delaware, commenting on NHTSA's draft fuel economy proposal, wrote: "It is incumbent on the Federal government to mandate the fuel efficiency we know to be possible from American auto manufactures in much stricter proportions that what they now give us...It is time for us to hold our domestic companies' feet to the fire."
Julia Murphy, California, in comments addressed Dear NHTSA Employee: "I believe both the President's fuel economy goal and the NHTSA's are so ineffectual as to be useless. I hope you personally, NHTSA employee, see the importance of immediate and drastic action. I don't expect your bosses to care, respond to me, or make policy that shows they appreciate the gravity of the situation."
T. Holland, Massachusetts: Over 25 years, "a top-shelf racing bike cut its weight by 40% and doubled the number of gears. And even though they are so much lighter, they are more aerodynamic, stiffer, stronger (more durable and crashworthy)... Why do we not apply this same ingenuity and resourcefulness to cars?"
Your comments are also more than welcome.
The traitors who betrayed the American people are our politicians and the uninformed people who support them like the economic idiots who call for more government control Be careful of what you wish for you might end up starving and freesing in the dark with your politician laughing all the way to his bank.
You may disagree with their policies and opinions, but they are not traitors.