John Kerry's position on

Gas Prices in America: Americans consume 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, the most out of any country with each person using about 3 gallons on a daily basis. However, even though gas is cheaper here than in other countries, their have been an 11.5 percent price increase since 2000 when President Bush took office. As of June 2004, their is a 43 cent tax per gallon of gas. Link:

Description of candidate's position: Kerry has a plan to put America towards energy independence through new gas requirements, hybrid cars and different types of fuel. With gas prices continuing to raise Kerry proposes America should invest in developing new technology for fuel and renewable energy sources while helping the American economy grow by adding 500,000 new jobs in renewable energy and technology. He hopes that by 2013, our vehicles would be getting 35 miles per gallon. Kerry emphasizes reducing demand and fostering alternative fuels such as solar and wind power, and has also recently been promoting the idea of developing fuel from agricultural waste and improving automobile fuel economy, which he claims would save 2 million barrels of oil a day. Link and Link:

Quotation from the Candidate: "Ill use real diplomacy to do what George Bush hasn't -- pressure OPEC to start providing more oil. We'll stop diverting oil to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until gas prices get back to normal…and instead of a secret energy meetings and drilling in the Alaskan wilderness, we're going to have a real energy plan for America. We'll create 500,000 new jobs in renewable energy and building vehicles of the future. Under my plan, America will be energy independent from Mideast oil in 10 years, the fuels of the future will be less expensive, cleaner and our young men and women will never have to fight and die for foreign oil." March 30, 2004.

Assessment of the Proposal:

Positive: The Sierra Club -- the other major environmental organization has endorsed Kerry saying, "John Kerry's record on the environment is impressive by any measure and reveals a sincere personal passion for the issue." The website endorses Kerry for all that he has done in the past including co-sponsoring the Clean Power Act of 2003 and voting against defunding of the renewable energy programs. They also support his plans for the future including new technology, reducing demand and using alternative fuels.

Negative: Terry Barnich of the Chicago Tribune says John Kerry's proposal to deplete the strategic reserve is the most "seriously wrong-headed", but he thinks the rest of his is just as bad. He thinks Kerry's plan has a good central goal by trying to reach energy independence from others. However, the problem with the rest of his policy is that America's thirst for fossil fuels is unquenchable and independence comes at the expense of draining America's reserve dry first.

Comparison: Both John Kerry and President Bush see our rising cost of oil as well as the increased usage of it a problem. Each candidate proposes changes in the way we get oil as well as new environmental requirements for automobiles and oil using machinery. Kerry's plan causes for a decrease in demand by using other resources while Bush looks to increase supply through drilling domestically. Creating new technology to perform these goals is a major aspect of the Kerry campaign as well as creating new jobs for America. Kerry also wants to see the national reserve be used instead of using foreign oil which remains a costly venture.

Link to Bush's issue page