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State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
GUEST COLUMN
Representative Anderson's Column
As we gather with family for the holiday season, it’s my wish that you have a blessed Christmas. This is a wonderful time of year, one that’s meant to be shared with others. It can also be a difficult time, especially for those who are alone or who have recently lost a loved one. Let’s remember them as we share this holiday with others.
Looking back at the past year, it has seen its share of ups and downs. The legislative session was challenging as we faced a huge potential deficit with a divided government, that is, a Democratic governor and Republicans in control of both the House and Senate. Those budget differences weren’t resolved by the time the regular session ended so we went into a state shutdown. That unpleasant situation lasted 19 days, with pressure mounting as each day passed. An agreement that no one fully embraced was finally reached, and the state slowly started returning to normal.
As we hear daily reports out of Washington of gridlock on the federal level, I am thankful for many facets of our state government. First, and foremost, is the constitutional requirement that we balance the budget every two years. I don’t think many of us can fully imagine a trillion dollars and the fact that our federal government is 14 trillion in debt. Or that 40 cents of every dollar spent from our federal budget is borrowed!
Balancing our state budget is not easy; decisions must be made that sometimes are not popular. In addition, some will say that borrowing from our schools is not the correct way to balance the budget. I would agree it’s not a perfect solution, but many school officials are quick to say that a shift is preferable to an outright cut. With the latest budget forecast showing the state beginning to build up a surplus once again, there is hope we can, at least, start to re-pay the K-12 shift.
Those involved in transportation or agriculture are certainly noticing the high price of diesel fuel, along with the wide price differential between diesel and gasoline. Earlier this fall, I fueled my grain truck at a local station, and the pump price was $4.29 per gallon. Right alongside was the gas pump with a posted price of $3.20. Not only is that the largest spread I’ve ever seen between the two fuels, but there were also spot shortages of diesel fuel during the fall harvest season.
This country literally runs on diesel fuel. National studies are showing that usage of gasoline is gradually going down, while demand for diesel is increasing. With our smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, that trend is likely to continue. Refineries are turning out all the diesel fuel they can, but most still produce more gas than diesel in the refining process. This is a situation our country needs to address.
The oil boom in western North Dakota is one of the reasons given for high prices and spot shortages of diesel fuel. In addition to all the trucks running out there, diesel fuel is also used in the oil drilling and pumping process. At a recent conference, we were told that it takes around 1,500 gallons of fuel per day just to run the oil rig pump. Another couple thousand gallons are pumped down the well to lubricate the drill bits. And in cold weather, another thousand gallons or so are utilized to power boilers used to heat water.
Once again, to you and yours, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
News Items
- ANDERSON TAKES HOUSE OATH - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 12:00AM)
- Legislative begins this week - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 3:36PM)
- Current surplus allows K-12 repayment - (Posted: Dec 10 2012 12:00AM)
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