Country needs more development of alternative fuels

The letter of July 18 asking for support of the oil companies and for oil drilling in our wildlife refuge cannot go without comment. Now is when we all must sacrifice. This is a time when our military men and women are dying and getting wounded in the Middle East in wars that our grandchildren will be paying for. The first to sacrifice should be the oil companies and other multinationals making money off the Iraq war.

During World War II American corporations were subject to an excess profits tax. We should be doing the same now along with increasing taxes on the heads of these corporations. Our nation should then take that money and put it toward two items. The first would be veterans' benefits, including first-class health services and free education. The second item must be making our nation energy independent. Sixty-six years ago the United States, in a very short time, went from producing few fighter planes and bombers to producing hundreds of thousands of aircraft to help us win World War II.

We can and should make that same kind of commitment and build solar panels, windmills, increase energy efficiency, and perfect battery technology. If we did that, we could be free of the tyrants of the Middle East and we would be a better country.

Gregory Adamo

Metuchen