"Your Voice That Bridges The Area Communities Together."
By Seth Whitehead, Executive Director Illinois Petroleum Resources Board (IPRB)
Fifty-plus lawmakers are pushing for the repeal of oil and natural gas industry “subsidies” as part of the budget reconciliation bill being hashed out in Congress. But ironically, the most notable “subsidies” in their crosshairs – the expensing of intangible drilling costs (IDCs) and the percentage depletion allowance – aren’t subsidies at all. [Read more...]
Submitted By Mike Rowe
I am heartened by the recent efforts of parents in White County to push back on the Carmi-White Co. school board’s actions in mandating masks which usurp parental control of their children’s health choices. It is a difficult position to be caught between parental rights and a Governor that keeps throwing his weight around like a school yard bully. There are currently 51 school districts in the state that have chosen to stand up to the bully and take on the fight. The Carmi-White Co. school board is not one of them, instead they have given in to the bully, but the children pay the price. The board has chosen not to challenge the Governor’s mask mandate for fear of retaliation or loss of funds. [Read more...]
By Seth Whitehead
It has been said many times before but — to the delight of Vladimir Putin and Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman — remains difficult for many U.S. policymakers to grasp: reducing domestic oil production does nothing to decrease demand. Instead, it leads to increased dependence on the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Russia and other foreign sources for the oil we need. [Read more...]
Letter to the Editor
RE: Dog Bite Awareness Week 2021 Villagers Voice Norris City, IL 62869
Dear Editor,
Did anyone bite you at work today? On average, nearly 15 mail carriers per day will say, “Yes.” Postal Service officials report that in 2020, over 5,800 letter carriers experienced dog bites or dog attacks. With deliveries every day, including Sundays and holidays, carriers continue to experience dog bites in urban, suburban and rural settings. [Read more...]
By Seth Whitehead, Executive Director Illinois Petroleum Resources Board
State-owned national oil companies already produce nearly three-quarters of the world’s oil and control 90 percent of its proven reserves. The only thing keeping these true “Big Oil” giants from completely controlling the world’s hydrocarbon supply are the privately-owned, independent oil companies that dominate the Illinois Basin and the United States as a whole.
By Seth Whitehead, Executive Director Illinois Petroleum Resources Board
Department of Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm recently said the United States should “replicate” Germany’s taxpayer-funded efforts to transition to renewable energy. Other leaders have suggested similar California energy policies should become a model for the country. [Read more...]
"If there’s one thing I’ve noticed during my time in elected office, it’s that everyone has their own concerns and priorities about what their government needs to do better. Some people focus on crime levels while other people complain about taxes. But if you talk to them long enough, nearly everyone, especially parents and grandparents, bring up their concerns about schools. Everyone agrees that we need good schools to prepare our younger generations so they can lead successful lives. Without a doubt, one of the biggest issues facing our schools is the shortage of good, qualified teachers. [Read more...]
Photo by Kathy Sands
With their industry under assault, oil and gas workers are being assured they can simply transition to renewable energy jobs. John Kerry even recently quipped that oil and gas workers “can be the people who go to work to make solar panels.” Easy peasy, apparently.
So why is this “just transition” narrative being met with deep skepticism and even anger from oil and gas workers? Because the notion that a simple “transition” to jobs that typically pay less – or don’t even exist at all – is as misguided as the belief we can quickly pivot to 100 percent renewable energy. [Read more...]