Deficit, not Gas Prices, is the problem

My senators are helping to block attempts to reduce tax breaks for oil companies.  One of them was quoted today in my local paper as saying: "...it's not going to solve the problem that most Americans are complaining about today, which is high gas prices."

Here's [a slightly edited version of ]what I wrote to him:
ARE YOU NOT PAYING ATTENTION? Today's problem is NOT 'high gas prices'; today's problem is our HUGE DEFICIT and MASSIVE NATIONAL DEBT. You and other leaders need to use every tool at your disposal to address this overriding problem of deficits, and eliminating special interest tax breaks is one of those tools. USE IT!

On a related note, as a conservative I'm sure you understand the concept that 'high prices are the cure for high prices'. In fact, direct or indirect subsidies for gasoline contribute to many other problems. They decrease demand for fuel-efficient vehicles. They encourage urban sprawl, which has too many negative effects to list here. They increase air pollution which must be countered with onerous and costly regulations, and/or causes health problems that will burden us with higher Medicare costs down the road. (Another negative impact on future budgets.) In general, gasoline tax subsidies make it harder for American companies developing new energy-efficient technologies to compete against the status quo. We both realize that gasoline in other developed countries is much more expensive than here, so companies in THOSE countries recognize the importance of these technologies, and are working hard to develop these technologies themselves.

In summary: vote to end special tax breaks for oil companies.
They're bad for the deficit.
They're bad for the environment.
They're bad for health.
They're bad for the future.
They're bad for America.
 Vote to end them.