VansOpinion - CONGRESS SHOULD VOTE NO ON A MEGA-REFINERY AT CUSHING, OKLAHOMA

Next week, I'm told, the Congress of the United States will start moving legislation which includes Congressman John Sullivan's (R-OK) proposition to build a mega-refinery in Cushing Oklahoma. According to a friend of mine who is a retired oil company executive, Cushing is the location where several transcontinental pipeline come together, sort of a "switchboard" for routing crude oil and petroleum products from one part of the country to another. At this time, I'm going to excuse the immature and inexperienced member of the U.S. House of Representatives representing Oklahoma 1st Congressional District for his obvious ignorance as to several critical fact relating to his proposition.

In the first place, Sullivan is supposed to first represent the people of his district in the nation's capitol. Cushing is not in his district! In the heart of "John Boy's" district is Tulsa, once known as "The Oil Capitol of the World" a title which was, in my opinion, stolen away by industry giants who apparently liked Houston, Texas better a number of years ago. Apparently the congressman knows little to nothing about the history of the oil industry except what he is told.

From one end of the Sooner State to the other, not too many years ago, were a number of operational oil refineries which, during the "Big War" (World War II) serviced not only the needs of the people of Oklahoma (even during the days of ration stamps), but also provided a major contribution to the gas and oil requirements of our nation. In West Tulsa, across the Arkansas River, from "downtown Tulsa" two major refineries, Mid-continent and Texaco, worked at full capacity 24-7 processing Oklahoma crude oil and that "imported" from other areas. Those two refineries still exist, the first now owned by Sunoco and the other by Sinclair.

My sources in Tulsa inform me it was a few hand-wringing liberal, self-serving environmental wackos who raised so much hell over the smell of oil being processed the two companies had to greatly reduce production at the two refineries. Expensive modifications they would have required to have been made tp the Tulsa facilities would have made them less profitable and hence of less value to their owners.

Where has the "Honorable" John Sullivan been sleeping?. Has he been spending so much time sucking up to PACs and political contributors in Disneyland East (that's what I call Washington, D.C.) he has failed to notice how badly O.P.E.C. has been screwing the American people. Did he fail to notice the drastic rises in the price per gallon of gasoline and diesel fuel over the last year? Did he even know there hasn't been a refinery built in three decades?

We often read about members of congress paying more attention to wild women than to the ladies back home. It took two devastating honeys - Katrina and Rita - to get Sullivan's attention! Like so many others, he now is seeking his share of printer's ink, column inches and media face time by proposing a maga-refinery in Cushing. I suggest the rather junior member of the "House" pull his head out of his political tail-pipe and consider the following.

Early in 1985, the Department of Defense, the Department of State, the National Security Council, the Central Intelligence Agency and senior members of the congress, to name a few, all knew that, according the National Defense University's teachings, our country would not be facing a conventional enemy in decades to come, that the chance of World War III was practically out of the question. Rather, the United States and all other countries around the globe would be dealing with terrorist organizations for scores of future years. Disruption of commerce, industry and significant loss of lives could and should be expected and planning for such was then and more so now of paramount importance!

In recent months, hurricanes Katrina and Rita have produced a one-two punch on the drilling rigs in and refineries around the Gulf Coast. The Port of New Orleans and others have been clobbered. Now, due to the lack of prior planning, our national oil reserves are being depleted and our refining capacities have been substantially reduced due to damages caused by the two "natural disasters."

Now, the Oklahoma congressman wants to put a "Mega-Refinery" in Cushing, which is in the heart of tornado country. Listen up "John Boy", this taxpayer and the good people of Oklahoma deserve better than what you are proposing! There aren't that many people inside of the "beltway" that knows much, if anything, about Oklahoma weather.

Somebody tell Sullivan what tornados have done to a few Oklahoma towns over the last sixty years. Tell him that very likely there will be hurricanes and tornados until the end of time. Then only questions are where, when and how big. Before he busts his fanny trying to get funding for ONE REFINERY in Cushing, have him consider spreading all the money he can get to refurbish the TWO REFINERIES in Tulsa and perhaps other around the state. The Conoco and Phillips refineries in Ponca City, Oklahoma could use a few bucks to increase production. All over the rest of the state there are smaller refineries which could be brought back "on line" with much less governmental spending and in far less time.

While that is going on, he should take all necessary steps to get restrictions on drilling and pumping removed so as to fully exploit Oklahoma oil fields. And while he's at it, he should determine if the natural gas reserves in and around Enid, Oklahoma have been exhausted. In short, John Sullivan could become a super hero to the people of Oklahoma. If he has the desire and intellectual capacity to do his homework and work for America he would get national recognition for leading the way out of the mess which natural disasters and tree-hugging environmental wacos together with greedy folks in Arab countries have caused for all of us.

As an old military man to a young guy who probably never even wore a Boy Scout uniform, for God's sake, John and the sake of the people of Oklahoma, don't use all of your political "markers" to seek and get money to build a TARGET OF OPPORTUNITY in Cushing that terrorists could destroy in the heart of Oklahoma! Refurbishing many of the smaller refineries in Oklahoma would allow the spreading of new jobs around the state, and at the same time, reduce the risk of a terrorist attack which would also likely destroy the pipeline transfer center.

If the young congressman has the scrotal capacity to take on the "environmentalists" who in my less than humble Oklahoma opinion, are in this instance, major friends of our enemies. Get some of the ridiculous restrictions lifted on oil and refining production - if only for a year or so - he might have a chance to get re-elected. If he fails the people of Oklahoma and of America or if he does not have the political "horsepower" to do what should and must be done, HE WILL HAVE AN OPPONENT NEXT YEAR WHO WILL KICK HIS FANNY OUT OF OFFICE! Mr. Sullivan, I personally dare you to ignore this message!