As the national average price of gasoline skyrockets to new records every day, I would like to propose a a decree: Demo-crats are no longer allowed to complain about high gas prices. It is, after all, this party’s failed policies that have caused prices to soar.

Here are the reasons why Dems should no longer whine about how expensive gasoline is:

1. The environment. Democrats always claim to be in favor of saving the planet. They say that the only way to do this is to cut greenhouse gas emissions (regardless of the insurmountable toll this can have on the global economy). A major source of these “greenhouse gases” is automobiles, especially in the United States.

Our prices are significantly lower than most countries’, and our cars guzzle far more gas than any others, making the United States the leader in automobile carbon-dioxide emissions. Higher gas prices can only discourage people from driving, which is what former Vice President Al Gore wanted all along. In effect, higher gas prices will lower the greenhouse gas emissions, and thereby “save the planet.” What’s so bad about that?

2. Taxes. Recently, Democratic Rep. John Dingell of Michigan, Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, suggested a tax of 50 cents per gallon of gas sold in the United States. This would, obviously, cause gas prices to skyrocket faster than ever before.

This brings us to the truth about gas prices: The government is the one stealing your money, not Exxon Mobil Corp. In California last year, an average of 3 cents per gallon went to the parent oil company’s profit. More than 40 cents went to state and federal taxes alone, not considering municipal and county taxes. Over the past four quarters, Exxon Mobil Corp. has had a revenue totaling $400 billion.

Their profit? Only 10 percent of that: $40 billion. (In fact, a 10 percent profit margin is much lower than economic standard. Most companies have margins of more than 15 percent. Why isn’t the government regulating those prices?) That translates to $360 billion used to bring gas more cheaply and efficiently to you.

Currently, the oil companies also receive tax rebates, which allow them to sell gas cheaply at the pump. In a recent Congressional hearing, however, Democrats threatened to revoke those rebates and use the extra income to pay for “alternative energy initiatives.” That will add quarters to the cost of each gallon of gas and cause significant economic strain on several companies that, in no small part, keep the U.S. economy in good standing. Hence, the Democrats and their tax policies are responsible for a much greater portion of the money you pay for gas than the oil companies are, and they should stop complaining.

3. Drilling. The other major point Democrats like to make is the dependence we have on foreign oil. They blame President George W. Bush and the Republican Party for causing our country to rely heavily on morally and geopolitically questionable nations such as Saudi Arabia and China.

But we could easily be released from the bond of foreign oil by simply tapping the vast oil resources in this hemisphere. Currently, under Democratic policy, we are not allowed to tap the millions of barrels underneath the Alaskan National Wildlife Reserve. The “environmental” concerns about this source breed another great myth about U.S. oil.

ANWR is expansive, and the areas under which oil reserves sit are completely barren. Plants cannot grow because of the salty ground, and thus, wildlife cannot flourish. There is no scientific basis for not drilling in this part of the Reserve.

Accounting for the current exponential growth in oil use, there are an estimated 400 years worth of oil under those fields (granted, they are exclusively used by the United States). Democrats are preventing the addition of millions of barrels to our oil supply, which could greatly lower costs at the pump.

4. Refineries. Democratic policy is the reason why the most modern refinery in the country was built in 1972. Refining accounts for about $1.25 per gallon; modern, more efficient refineries could drastically lower the cost of gas, with little or no environmental impact.

The energy crisis is a major part of the United States’ future. Liberals (calling themselves “Democrats”) continue their campaign against progress and economic success by impeding all logical efforts to ease the burden on U.S. Citizens.

Liberals need people to be in economic trouble to get votes; otherwise, they have no reason to come to the government for help. This problem can easily be fixed, at little cost to the government. We must rely on the intelligence and common sense of conservatives in Congress to produce a sound, effective energy policy.

Brett Kostrzewski is a freshman in Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology.