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Letters______________  Natural gas EDITOR: The article in your February 1982 issue, "Natural Gas: What's in the pipeline for Illinois?" by George Provenzano, is one of the most thorough and objective I have ever seen on the natural gas situation. Mr. Provenzano is to be commended for such an easy to understand, in-depth treatise on a very complicated and often controversial subject. As an executive of an investor-owned utility which is affected by many of the developments discussed, I believe I can speak with some authority when I say that this has to be one of the most explanatory articles developed to date on the subject. Jay Paul Wade Federal energy policy EDITOR: I would like to comment on an aspect of the national energy situation which may be the least understood, that is federal energy policy. Your August 1980 article laments the absence of a coherent energy policy, contending that prior to President Carter there had been no energy policy at all. In fact, we have had excessive federal policy making, albeit totally inconsistent and incoherent. It is interesting that through most of this country's history our primary sources of energy changed dramatically through market forces, without substantial federal intervention. Since World War II, however, federal involvement has abounded, resulting in tremendous distortions in energy usage. Artificially low crude oil prices have ensured our dependence on foreign oil, while discouraging conservation and development of alternatives such as solar energy. As recently as early 1979, car manufacturers such as Toyota were unable to sell fuel efficient models in America, in the wake of extensions in the oil price controls. Only since the recent beginning of oil price deregulation has significant progress been made in energy conservation. The leviathan Department of Energy, budgeted for fiscal 81 at $11 billion (which translates to spending over $30 million per day every day of the year), has made little progress. It is foolish to artificially support alternative energy sources with huge federal subsidies or tax advantages. Rather than create a specific energy policy, our federal government should gradually extricate itself from this arena, and direct its efforts to improving the mechanisms for venture capital formation and patent protection, while maintaining environmental safeguards. These efforts would provide the incentives necessary for development of improved sources and methods of energy production. Thomas A. Bushar, P.E. Soil erosion and vanishing farmland EDITOR: I am writing to congratulate you on your recently completed series of six articles on soil erosion and disappearing farmland in Illinois. I thought Jim Krohe did an excellent job of bringing out the issues on these important topics. The Illinois Department of Agriculture appreciates the attention that has been focused on these two very important issues by your series. We at the Department of Agriculture are attempting to bring reasonable solutions to these two complicated and perplexing problems. I would like to paraphrase a very important point made in the series, "the citizens of Illinois should only be concerned about the problems and solutions to soil erosion and vanishing prime farmland if they pay taxes or eat, otherwise let the farmers solve their own problems." Larry A. Werries, Director Illinois Department of Agriculture Illinois soil EDITOR: I would like to compliment you on the publication of James Krohe Jr.'s series of articles on Illinois soil. Having recently read Farmland or Wasteland — A Time to Choose by R. Neil Sampson, I possessed a certain national perspective on the problems of soil erosion and farmland conversion. Mr. Krohe's series, however, provided the necessary focus on these issues in Illinois. This focus was valuable as I served as chairwoman for the League of Women Voters of Lincoln study on land use in Logan County in January. My committee and I utilized the articles in two ways. The information served as background knowledge as we prepared our agenda of panelists and discussion questions. In addition, we displayed the articles during each of the three evenings of the study to provide an easily accessible resource for participants. Please know that this series certainly did help increase awareness in Logan County of one of the challenging issues for Illinois — land use. Sandra Crews, Chairwoman Education and jobs EDITOR: I think the school system should decentralize, giving all authority for education, including taxing, to individual school districts — if only for the reason this would be more democratic. I also think monies for unemployment compensation should be invested in bankrupt businesses. This should be managed by a private corporation with shares based on employers' contributions to the fund. The businesses would be staffed by people from unemployment rolls. This would be regarded as an investment and sold at a break-even point for fair market value. The state would still determine eligibility and the amount of unemployment benefits in every individual case, subject to judicial rule. Also the state job service would be offered. These services would be paid by taxes on the corporation. Kurt Buchholz April 1982/Illinois Issues/5 |