COMMON SENSE: Week of March 22

Out-of-control gas prices surpassing $4 dollars per gallon are certain to put a damper on what many believe are the early stages of a sustained economic recovery. Everyone from the airline industry to truckers incurs increased costs which get passed on directly to the consumer. And, of course, the average American driver is spending several hundred dollars more per year for fuel.

Historically, high energy prices are the precursor to economic downturns. Abundant cheap energy is crucial to a robust economy.

The federal government must look at ways to bring prices down back to an average below $3.50 per gallon by capping taxes, tapping reserves, encouraging new drilling and in the long term changing laws that will make it more attractive for oil companies to construct domestic refineries.

Many states including New York several years ago capped taxes on gasoline once it surpassed $3 per gallon. It’s time for the federal government to do the same. I know Congressmember Michael Grimm is pushing for such a change. He should get all our support.

The president has talked about tapping the oil reserves. This will have only a minimal effect, but makes sense until we are able to deal with longer term solutions such as new drilling and the construction of domestic refineries. The refineries in particular are key inasmuch as additional supply means little if we do not have the domestic capacity to produce more usable fuels.

As we all know, the cost of imported oil and refined products is the single biggest factor behind our ever-increasing gas prices. The ups and downs of the supply these foreign entities allow to flow to America directly impacts us at the pump.

It seems to me that America — which has shed the blood of its best in pursuit of freedom and security for peoples throughout the world — might in turn expect some consideration from the nations it has help free. For starters, that would be Iraq and Libya. And, of course, we did save Kuwait and Saudi Arabia from being overrun in 1993.

Maybe it is just me, but I think these countries should be stepping up and showing some appreciation for the sacrifices America has made for them.

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The Afghanistan government wants American troops to pull back from its operations in the field and be out of the country in the next year and a half. I say we accommodate them.

It is clear that, unlike Iraq, the Afghan people have little interest in the training and resources America has offered. After 10 years, they still are not able to maintain their own security without American troops. It is evident that, once we leave, the country will return to civil war. And it is just as evident we would need to be there permanently to maintain the peace.

Being in Afghanistan permanently is not an option. Withdrawing in an an orderly and speedy fashion should be. Osama Bin Laden has been killed and Pakistan seems to be the real problem in the region. Our continued presence in what has become a killing field for American troops with no apparent end game or value to the United States must come to an end.