[COMMITTEE PRINT] EDITORIAL COMMENT ON THE ENERGY SITUATION Prepared for the COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES JUNE 3, 1977 U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 90-932 WASHINGTON : 1977 JCS 32-77 :: ::: : CONTENTS Page Introduction 1 I. Newspaper Editorials 3 Alabama: The BirmiifigTiam. Neius (April 22, 1977) 3 Alaska: Anchorage Daily News (April 23, 1977) 4 Arizona: The Arizona Daily Star. Phoenix (April 24, 1977) 1 5 Arkansas: Arkansas Democrat, Little Kock (April 24, 1977) 5 California The Fresno Bee (April 23, 1977 7 Los Angeles Times (April 26. 1977) 8 Oakland Tribune (April 25, 1977) 9 San Francisco Chronicle (April 22, 1977) 10 Colorado : The Deliver Post (April 20. 1977) 11 Connecticut: The Hartford Courant (April 25, 1977) 12 Delaware : Evening Journal, Wilmington (April 20, 1977) 13 District of Columbia The Washington Post (April 22, 1977) 14 The Washington Star (April 23, 1977) 15 Florida Th e Miami Herald ( April 22, 1 977 ) 17 Sentinel Star (Orlando (April 22, 1977) 18 Tampa Times (April 22, 1977) 19 Georgia: The Atlanta Constitution (April 22, 1977) 20 Hawaii: The Honolulu Advertiser (April 20, 1977) 21 Idaho: Idaho Statesman (April 21, 1977) 22 Illinois Chicago Daily Neios ( April 21 , 1977 ) 24 Chicago Sun-Times (April 20, 1977) 25 Chicago Tribune (April 22, 1977) 26 Indiana : The Indianapolis Star (April 20, 1977) 27 Iowa : The Des Moines Register (April 22. 1977) 28 Kansas : The Topeka Daily Caj)ital (April 27, 1977) 29 Kentucky: The Courier-Joiamal, Louisville (April 20, 1977) . 30 Louisiana The Shreveport Times (April 22, 1977 )__ 30 The Times-Picayune, New Orleans (April 20, 1977) __ 33 Maine: Kennebec Journal, Augusta (April 22, 1977) 33 Maryland: The Sun, Baltimore (April 21, 1977) 33 Massachusetts: The Boston Globe (April 22, 1977) 34 Michigan Detroit Free Press (April 22, 1977) 35 Muskegon Chronicle (April 26, 1977) 37 (in) : : : :: : IV I. Newspaper Editorials—Continued Minnesota: The Minnea'polis Star (April 22, 1977) Mississippi: The Clarion-Ledger (April 25, 1977) Missouri: St. Louis Post-Dispatch (April 21, 1977) Montana : The Independent Record^ Helena (April 26, 1977) Nebraska: Lincoln Journal (April 21, 1977) Nevada: Nevada Appeal, Carson City (May 8, 1977) New Hampshire: Concord Monitor (April 20, 1977) New Jersey: Neioark Star-Ledger (April 22, 1977) 45 New Mexico: Albuquerque Journal (April 20, 1977) 47 New York Democrat and Chronicle. Eochester (May 23, 1977)-- 48 New York Post (April 21, 1977) NeiD York Times (April 24, 1977) Wall Street Journal (May 27, 1977) North Carolina: Charlotte Observer (April 22, 1977) North Dakota: The Bismarck Tribune (April 21, 1977) Ohio: Cincinnati Enquirer (April 22, 1977) The Plain Dealer, Cleveland (April 19, 1977) Oklahoma: Tulsa Daily World (April 22, 1977) Oregon Herald & Neios, Klamath Falls (April 18, 1977) The Oregonian. Portland (April 22, 1977) Pennsylvania Philadelphia Bulletin (April 20, 1977) The Philadelphia Inquirer (April 21, 1977) The Pittsburgh Press (April 26, 1977) Ehode Island: The Providence Journal (April 24, 1977) __ South Carolina: The Neivs and Courier., Charleston (April 20, 1977) 66 South Dakota: Daily Capital Journal., Pierre (April 21, 1977) 67 Tennessee The Commercial Appeal, Memphis (April 22, 1977) 68 The Knoxville Journal (April 23, 1977) 69 Texas Abile7ie Reporter-Neios (April 22, 1977) 70 The Austin American-Statesman (April 20, 1977) 71 The Dallas Morning Neios (April 22, 1977) 71 Houston Chronicle (April 22, 1977) I 72 Utah : Deseret Neius,^ Salt Lake City (April 22, 1977) 73 Vermont: The Burlington Free Press (April 22, 1977) 75 Virginia : Richmond Times-Dispatch (April 22, 1977) 76 Washington : The Seattle Times (April 20 ,1977) 77 West Virginia : The Charleston Gazett (April 22, 1977) 78 Wisconsin Milwaukee Journal (April 22, 1977) 78 The Sheboygan Press (April 22, 1977) 80 Wyoming: Wyoming State Tribute, Cheyenne (April 20, 1977) 81 Page II. Magazine Editorials and Columns 83 America (April 30, 1977) 83 Business Week (April 25, 1977) 84 Forbes (May 15, 1977) 85 The Nation (May 7, 1977) 85 Time (April 25, 1977) 87 U.S. Neios & World Report (April 25, 1977) 89 III. Coliinmists ^^ Kiissell Baker, Chicago Tribune (April 24, 1977) 91 William F. Bucklev, Jr., The Boston Glohe (April 29, 1977) 1:- 92 Marquis Cliilds, The Washington Post (April 26, 1977) 94 Ernest Conine, Los Angeles Times (April 25, 1977) __ 95 William R. Diem, The Plam Dealer (April 23, 1977) _ 97 Rowland Evans and Robert Novak, The Washington Post (April 30, 1977) 99 Tom Fink, Anchorage Times (April 24, 1977) 100 Clayton Fritchey, The Washington Post (April 30, 1977) 101 William Randolph Hearst, Jr., San Francisco Exam- iner a,nd Chronicle (April 24, 1977) 103 James J. Kilpatrick, Washington Star (April 26, 1977) 105 Joseph Kraft, The Houston Post (April 27, 1977) 106 Mary McGrory, Chicago Tribune (April 29, 1977) ___ 108 Thomas E. Mullaney, Neio York Times (April 24, 1977) 109 Jane Bryant Quinn, Trenton Times (April 26, 1977) _ 111 Bill Raspberry, Chicago Sun-Times (April 26, 1977) _ 113, James Reston, Chicago THliine (April 24, 1977) 114 Carl T. Rowan, The Times-Picayune, New Orleans (April 25, 1977) 115 Louis Rukeyser, Tallahassee Democrat (April 17, 1977) _-_: -— 116 Godfrey Sperlino;, Jr., The Christian Science Monitor (April 20, 1977) 118 Nicholas von Hoffman, The Washington Post (May 6, 1977) 119 Tom Wicker, New York Times (April 22, 1977) 120 George F. Will, Newsweek (April 18, 1977) 122 Garry Wills. Chicago Sun-Times (April 25, 1977) — 124 INTRODUCTION This pamphlet presents a sample of comments on the energy situa- tion as found in various newspaper and periodical editorials and individual commentary by columnists. There has been considerable interest expressed in providing a collec- tion of editorial comment relating to the Administration's proposed National Energy Plan, including requests from members of the Com- mittee on Ways and Means. This material was collected with the assistance of the Congressional Kesearch Service, Library of Congress. It covers newspapers from all of the States and the District of Columbia, and several national news periodicals. (1) I. NEWSPAPER EDITORIALS (Arranged Alphabetically by State) Alabama The Birmingham News (April 22, 1977) ^'Carte7'\s Energy Plan''' President Carter's energy message to Congress was the most impor- tant act of his presidency so far, and ahnost anyone would have to admit that he acted with political courage in outlining early in his administration measures which will require great sacrifices from the people. The energy proposals reflect straight-line thinking rather than second-guessing the many interests which make up our country. Mr. Carter obviously had in mind attacking problems rather than worrying about how the powerful members of Congress, say, from the oil states would think about specific measures. Yet, for all the verve with which the plan was formulated and pre- sented to Congress, it is not without its flaws and not free of formula- tions reflecting questionable premises. The thrust of the Carter energy policy is conservation. The conserva- tion measures he proposes represent a massive intervention of govern- ment into the economy—and seem to overlook the potential of the pri- vate secitor to solve massi^^e problems such as that of energy shortage. Unless we nationalize energy—perish the thought ! —government will not solve the energy problem. The ingenuity of the American people can, if the government allows the enterprising enough incentive to risk capital and elfort to do the job. Yet, Mr. Carter made it clear that a central part of his energy pro- gram would be to deny anything other than a minimal profit to com- panies in business to supply the American public with energy. He proposes a five-cents per gallon tax on gasoline per year for every year that we fail to meet conservation targets, and he proposes a well- head tax on domestic oil plus more stringent regulation of natural gas prices. Thus, he sees the need for higher prices, boosted bv taxes, to dis- courage consumption. But he fails to recoonize the need that the private sector will have for additional capital if new sources of energy are to be developed. Who would buy stock in an oil or natural gas company as a result of Mr. Carter's speech? Who would want to midergo the risks of search- ing out possible new oil fields under the economics which prevail ilnder Mr. Carter's plan ? Much of ]Mr. Carter's plan is good, but someone aptly said that it is like half a pair of scissors. It would make Americans conperve energy, but it is essentially negative in regard to producing more energy. (3) We heard Mr, Carter come on television Monday night and tell the American people that the energy crisis is real and that we must deal with it. Wednesday night, he told the iVmerican people how we could adopt measures to stretch out the energy we have. What would be great is if Mr. Carter would come on television tonight and tell the American people that the government has faith that the private sector can solve this great problem, that it will provide the incentives for it to do so and that we must face the future with confidence that the light of our civili- zation will not dim and go out within a relatively few years. Great leaders have always provided their people wiith hope and en- couragement, and that element of uplift was missing from JMr, Carter's energy message. Alaska Anchorage Daily News (April 23, 1977) ''Message No. ^" With his energy conservation message out of the way. President Carter is concentrating on another pertinent chapter on the subject: energy and the environment. A message on that subject is expected within the next few weeks.