New Survey Finds Georgians Support Increased Access to Domestic Oil and Natural Gas Resources

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Georgians are concerned about the price of gasoline and the majority of them support increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources, a new survey finds.

"This research confirms what every recent poll has shown. Georgians, like Americans everywhere, are feeling the crush of high gasoline costs and support increasing domestic supplies of oil and natural gas," said Ric Cobb, executive director of the Georgia Petroleum Council (GPC). "Sadly, some in Congress are ignoring this groundswell and blocking a balanced energy policy that includes development of America's vast natural resources, along with more conservation, energy efficiency and increased supplies of all sources of energy."

The poll was conducted by telephone between July 10 and July 27, 2008 by Harris Interactive and commissioned by API. The survey of 501 registered Georgia voters who are likely to vote in the upcoming presidential election found 66 percent of those surveyed said they somewhat or strongly support increased access to domestic oil and natural gas resources. Only 23 percent of respondents said they opposed increased access. An overwhelming 97 percent said they are somewhat or very concerned about the price of gasoline.

"America's oil and natural gas companies are ready to work with government at all levels to enact a comprehensive energy plan that includes increasing domestic supplies while protecting our environment," said Cobb. "It's time for Congress to lift the ban on offshore drilling."

Currently, Congress is blocking the exploration and development of abundant oil and natural gas reserves beneath non-park federal lands and coastal waters. Advanced technology means America's oil and natural gas companies can efficiently explore for these resources while protecting the environment. Based on federal government data, these resources could provide enough oil to fuel more than 65 million cars for 60 years and enough natural gas to heat 60 million homes for 160 years.

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Local Insurer Lowers Gas Prices in Atlanta

PRNewswire-FirstCall -- Some Atlanta drivers will enjoy $1.99/gallon gas prices just in time for summer getaways thanks to Infinity Insurance.

The company announced today that it has partnered with a local gas station to provide the discounted gas at a special promotion scheduled tomorrow, July 10th between 11am and 2pm. The location will be announced on a special website, www.RefuelingSummer.com, just prior to the event. Area drivers lucky enough to make it to the event may pump up to 10 gallons of gas at the $1.99/gallon price subsidized by Infinity Insurance.

The event is part of Infinity's Refueling Summer promotional series. Refueling Summer and helping consumers offset the pressures of today's economy is a natural extension of Infinity's low cost approach to car insurance. Dan Davis, a Division Manager with Infinity commented: "Gas prices and the economy affect everyone. Other insurance companies spend large sums on advertising. We'd rather provide a direct benefit to the communities we serve."

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Combat the Rising Cost of Fuel by Maximizing Your Mileage Deductions

BUSINESS WIRE--The IRS has just announced an increase in some deductible mileage rates starting July lst that will continue for the rest of 2008. With gas prices soaring, it’s a good time to be taking advantage of all possible tax deductible mileage. Liberty Tax (www.libertytax.com) offers a free mileage log to easily track your deductible mileage. Mileage for some business, medical, charitable, moving, and educational purposes may be deductible.

Here are the new mileage rates that will take effect July 1st through the end of this year:
Business mileage: to 58.5 cents per mile from 50.5 cents per mile
Medical or moving mileage: to 27 cents per mile from 19 cents per mile
Charitable mileage: stays at 14 cents per mile for 2008

“The IRS considers business mileage those miles driven from the office to an auxiliary business location,” said John Hewitt, Founder and CEO of Liberty Tax Service. “Commuting miles, the miles driven from home, to an office are not allowed. Students who are taking courses that are required by their employer, or are work-related, may deduct this mileage at the business mileage rate.”

Those moving this summer can deduct moving mileage if the move is at least 50 miles, and is necessary in order to start work at a new work location. Deductible moving expenses include the cost of moving furniture and household items as well as lodging expenses en route. Always be sure to notify the IRS of your relocation, by sending a Form 8822, Change of Address, to the IRS Service Center where you filed your last return.

Medical miles can be claimed for miles driven to and from the doctor or dentist, and to and from a pharmacy to pick up a prescription. Charitable mileage is deductible. If you volunteer for a charitable or non-profit organization, your mileage is deductible to and from meetings and functions.

Chambliss Highlight Georgians’ Concerns about Rising Gas Prices

U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., took to the Senate floor today in his continued effort to highlight Georgians’ concerns over rising gas prices and to urge Congress to take steps to increase oil supply by allowing for domestic exploration. Chambliss has been urging Georgians to contact his office and share stories about how rising energy costs are affecting their daily lives. Chambliss said he believes drilling off the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), as well as accessing shale in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States should be pursued in an environmentally safe manner to increase domestic production. Excerpts of Chambliss’ floor speech are below:

Mr. President, my constituents continue to suffer due to the ever-increasing price of fuel. They are facing very difficult choices, between food and gasoline, between driving to work to earn money for their families and driving to the grocery store to feed their families.

I was pleased to hear yesterday both President Bush and Senator McCain highlight their support to lease off the Outer Continental Shelf so we can increase our supply of oil to help lower energy prices for all Americans. Is drilling domestically the only answer to high gas prices? Absolutely not. There are other parts to the equation, but this is the right way to go.

In 2005, we suffered the most significant damage in the Gulf Coast region of our country as a result of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. We saw not one drop of oil spilled even though there are hundreds and hundreds of oil-producing platforms in that area. I come from a coastal state. There is nothing that I want that would in any way endanger the pristine beaches in my state or the costal regions of any other state. But we now have the technology in place to ensure that never happens. Secondly, we can do this in a way that ultimately lets the individual coastal states decide whether or not to opt out of this moratorium.

I'm hopeful that the Senate will come together to take this first step to increase our supply. Would I like to see more development? Sure. I support the development not just off the Outer Continental Shelf, but in other regions of our country where we know we have vast resources of energy, whether it's on the Outer Continental Shelf, whether it's in the shale of the Rocky Mountains, or whether it is in ANWR of Alaska or other areas of the country where geologists are fairly certain we do have additional resources. We need to explore so we can add to the supply that we have so in the long-term and shore-term, we can see gas prices in this country stabilize and begin to come back down to something more reasonable than what we're looking at today.

Chambliss is a co-sponsor of S.2973, the American Energy Production Act, which aims to lower the cost of energy by increasing domestic production of oil and gas in America. Specifically, the bill would authorize oil and gas leasing in the Atlantic and Pacific Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), if states chose to do so. It will also authorize oil and gas leasing in ANWR, and suspends filling of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) through the end of calendar year 2008.

Senator Chambliss’ floor remarks can be viewed in their entirety on his website later today at www.chambliss.senate.gov.