Oberweis stresses diversification necessary to reduce oil costs

Jim Oberweis, Congressional candidate for the 14th District, greets constituants Thursday in Dixon to discuss how the cost of energy is affecting them. (Alex T. Paschal/SVN photo)

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DIXON - I scream, you scream, we all scream for ... affordable fuels. Before giving out a batch of his name-brand ice cream, congressional candidate Jim Oberweis spoke to 10 people from the local farming community Thursday about handling growing fuel costs. Tapping more domestic oil sites was at the forefront of ideas to reduce those costs, which Oberweis presented at the Galena Steak House. "It's really clear to me that we can bring the cost of energy down by encouraging more American-made energy," Oberweis said. The location of oil-drilling sites is the topic of national debate after President Bush lifted a moratorium Monday. The move could allow off-shore drilling around the coastal U.S. if Congress votes in favor of repealing the ban or allows it to expire in September. The Republican Oberweis said that issue represents a key conflict between him and his electoral opponent, incumbent Rep. Bill Foster, D-Geneva. "That's a clear difference where [Foster] does not believe we should encourage more offshore drilling; I believe Congress has thrown up a barrier and we should change that. He has a difference of opinion." Friday morning, however, Rep. Foster sent a statement saying he is in fact in favor of more domestic oil tapping. "It's time for action," Foster said in the press release. "I wholeheartedly support responsible drilling for oil and gas as part of a more comprehensive solution to solve our energy crisis." Oberweis also suggested more nuclear power and coal energy plants as possible solutions. "The focus has to be on American-made energy, not only to help bring prices down, but it will also help keep those dollars in the country and create jobs in this country." The ubiquitous issue of oil prices hits farmers more directly than most professions, visitors said, because of a duel effect on diesel-dependent machinery as well as the transport of their commodities. Allyn Buhrow, 32, of Ashton said that although the price of commodities is lucrative, oil prices have ruined any sense of consistency. "It's taken away a lot of the predictability," Buhrow said, citing how particular commodities usually have steady values. "But right now, we're in a transition phase. We're not sure what a good price is for anything, just because of the variability of the market." Being in an area like the rural Midwest makes that position even harder to maintain, he said, where geography isn't conducive to strict limits on transport size and vehicle regulations. "We're just too big a place to do that."