Thanks to environmentalists and Democrats, our dependence on foreign oil keeps growing. In 1973 we imported 34.8 percent of our oil, and in 2007 it was 60.3 percent.

With gasoline at $4 a gallon and going higher, something needs to be done.

The Democrats' answer is to rail against energy companies' profits and investigate speculators.

Obvious to anyone but the brain-dead is the need to drill for oil where it is known to exist:

Off both coasts, the Gulf of Mexico and especially Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR).

ANWR is the size of South Carolina, and the footprint for oil drilling will be the size of Dulles Airport.

If President Clinton had not taken ANWR off the table, we could be importing an additional one million barrels per day of our own oil. At today's prices, that is $140 million a day we would not be sending to Chavez or the Saudis.

Is this a quick fix? Of course not, for there is no quick fix. It would bring a message that help is on the way and reduce the urge to speculate.

Does this mean we should stop looking at alternative sources of energy? No. Nuclear is a proven source of electricity. Solar is extremely expensive, and wind power seems to interfere with Sen. Kennedy's sailing. Ethanol has proved a boon to our corn-growing farmers and a disaster to hungry people of the Third World.

Alternate energy will provide only a small percentage of our energy needs. Oil, coal and nuclear will be mainstays for the foreseeable future.

We need to start drilling, building nuclear power plants and improving clean coal technology.

Write your elected officials -- Rep. Coble and Sens. Burr and Dole, and ask them to get going.

Jack C. McVey, Pinehurst