Mr. Obama, the Gas Prices Are Too Damn High
A non-profit, Generation Opportunity, is announcing a gas prices petition for young Americans. It aims to tell President Obama and his administration to ease their restrictions on domestic energy exploration and open up more land and offshore for drilling in order to bring gas prices down long-term and ease the additional pressure gas prices are creating for Americans in this already tough economy.
The petition is announced as the Facebook page “Gas Prices Are Too Damn High” – publicly rolled out on March 14, 2012. It has a total of more than 650,000 fans, as of today, April 30. The page provides a forum for young Americans who have been hit hard by the rising cost of gasoline.
Meanwhile, a national poll of America’s 18- to 29-year-olds by Harvard’s Institute of Politics (IOP), located at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, finds President Barack Obama has widened the gap between likely general election opponent Mitt Romney and himself. (Read: Obama Bouncing Back, Says Harvard Poll)
[ Also Read: Poll Identifies China a Major Threat to America ]Generation Opportunity’s “Gas Prices Are Too Damn High” online petition highlights that gas prices have skyrocketed over the last three years:
- Roughly 85% of federal land is off limits to drilling;
- New drilling leases on federal land available for exploration are down 44% from 2007/2008 to 2009/2010;
- Only 2% of offshore is available for energy exploration with 98% now restricted from drilling.
To go directly to the petition, you can visit http://generationopportunity.org/demand-action-to-lower-gas-prices/.
According to a 2011 poll commissioned by Generation Opportunity, 61 percent of young adults rated energy dependency among the top three national security issues facing the United States, along with national debt and indebtedness to foreign powers.
[ Also Read: VIA Motors and Verizon to Develop Electric Vehicles ]In the same poll, 70 percent of young adults indicated they would increase the production of domestic energy sources like oil, natural gas, and coal.
Also, due to the poor economy, 77 percent of young Americans indicated they either have or will delay major life decisions as a result of the poor economy including decisions to start a family, have children, buy a home, and save for retirement.
Just 31% of 18 – 29 year-olds approve of President Obama’s handling of youth unemployment and 69% say the current leadership in Washington fails to reflect the interests of the younger generation. The Generation Opportunity’s survey also says 59% of overall Millennials agree the economy grows best when individuals are allowed to create businesses without government interference.
