The lies being spread about the time required to increase our oil production continue unabated by the Democrats. Here are some interesting facts that you never hear:

- The Alaskan Pipeline/Prudhoe Bay development was as controversial as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is today. The Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act passed Congress in 1973. Work began that winter, and oil began flowing in the summer of 1977 after building the 900-mile pipeline -- a little over three years, not 10 years.

ANWR only needs a 70-mile pipeline to connect to the existing pipeline. It would take one winter to accomplish this. Oil could start flowing in 12-18 months. The existing pipeline is not near capacity, and needs additional product to keep it operational. Also, near-shore and offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and California can produce oil in 12-18 months.

- None of the environmental concerns expressed about Prudhoe Bay and the pipeline have occurred 25 years later.

- Alaska has received $50 billion in royalties during this time -- 80 percent of their state revenue. We send to Arabs and other assorted tin-pot dictators $30 billion per month that our state and local economies, and individual Americans, could be receiving from the jobs created by producing our own energy.

- Offshore and Alaska drilling would tap close to 100 billion barrels of oil, and the Bakken Oil Field in Montana, North Dakota and Canada holds more oil in each of the three locations than Saudi Arabia's reserves. This doesn't include the 2 trillion barrels of oil in the Rocky Mountain shale deposits.

We can drill our way out of this oil shortage that is destroying our economy, in less than two years. Remember, a vote for any other Democrat running for the House is a vote for Nancy Pelosi as speaker of the House -- and for $6- to $10-a-gallon gas in the next two years.

This is a one-issue election year: Save our economy, and our nation.

Gary Lawhead, Evans