In 2006, people in our country were looking for solutions to high energy prices. Nancy Pelosi took over as House majority leader and stated that the Democratic Party had a "common-sense plan" of reducing energy costs by cracking dawn on price gouging, cutting tax deductions for Big Oil and providing taxpayer funding of alternative energy. So far, Congress has proposed that trial attorneys get the right to sue the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Companies and conducted public interrogations of U.S. oil executives.

For alternative fuels, Congress has mandated the use of ethanol. This has resulted in the quadrupling of corn prices and food shortages for the world's poor. Ethanol production has created an inordinate use of water, fertilizer and taxpayer funds. Congress also has decided taxpayer-subsidized wind power is an acceptable alternative energy source as long as it does not block people's ocean views.

Within our reach in the U.S., an estimated 112 billion barrels of oil and 656 trillion cubic feet of gas have been declared off limits. By keeping this energy off limits, one wonders if Congress is pro-OPEC and wants to maintain a high trade deficit.

With higher energy costs upon us, we are now getting the "common-sense plan" good and hard.