The Department of Interior estimates there are 118 billion barrels of recoverable oil beneath U.S. federal lands and coastal waters, enough fuel for 60 million cars for 60 years. We need to send a message to Congressman Arcuri and the rest of the Democratic Party asking them why we are continuing to delay drilling of our own oil.

The party is more worried about hurting the feelings of the environmental extremists and spending more time and taxpayers' money on trying to reinvent the wheel. We do need to find alternative energy sources but in the meantime we need to drill on our own land. Americans continue to struggle to pay the heating bill or put gas into their cars because we continue to be dependent on foreign oil. We need to finally take matters into our own hands and use our own oil.

For those of us who live in central New York, this winter will hit our checkbooks the hardest. Many people will return to an alternative energy we have been using for centuries, firewood! While turbines and solar panels are a great option for heating your house, there are not too many of us in central New York that get sunny days in December or have a constant wind source. It also won't put gas in your gas tank.

As we continue to create technologies that will give us other alternatives to energy, we need to focus on the now. We need Congressman Arcuri to send a message to Speaker Pelosi, that central New York needs oil to heat our homes this winter. Speaker Pelosi shut down the House for vacation before voting on the drilling ban. Maybe Speaker Pelosi from California doesn't understand a New York winter or how much we depend on oil. Oil to heat our homes, our offices and more importantly put fuel into our plows to clear the roads. Maybe we should invite Speaker Pelosi to come visit one of our houses when it is three degrees outside and we can not afford to heat it?

Brendt Johnson

Weedsport