“Drill baby drill” is a memorable phrase from days gone by. If we would only let energy companies drill in more places, our energy costs would come down and our nation could become more energy independent. If it weren’t so serious, that belief would be laughable. Now that the United States is being turned into Swiss cheese from drilling, prices should be coming down. So why are they going up? Domestic gasoline consumption is declining. U.S. oil production is now comparable to Saudi Arabia’s. We have more natural gas than we know what to do with. Drill baby drill has morphed into ship baby ship. Refined oil products, such as gasoline, are being shipped abroad at unprecedented rates. Natural gas and propane terminals are being built and expanded to support export. In the latest quest for shortsighted profits, legislation (H.R. 4349, Crude Oil Export Act) has been introduced to allow crude oil to be exported after a 40-year prohibition. There have also been recent decisions on the definition of “crude oil” to allow its export. So when you see folks railing on our politicians about the Affordable Care Act, don’t be fooled. It is all about our nation’s energy policy. The folks mailing out the flyers daily and running TV ads disparaging some current members of Congress have strong ties to the energy sector. Again, please don’t be misled by these issues. A quick check of the Internet will show you how little energy companies are truly concerned about our health. Profits first, health last. The future of our democracy and our nation depends on you to understand the complete story. One more thing – if companies are going to get a great deal drilling on public lands, they should send us the royalty checks directly. They shouldn’t harm their neighbors or leave a wasteland either. If we are being asked to assume the risks of energy production, we should reap the rewards as well. Also, to be patriotic, domestic energy companies should sell American first, just as corporate America asks us to buy American when their profits are down.