THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Gas Decontrol, PACs and a Candidate
111•
By MORRIS AMITAY
WASHINGTON — A
major piece of domestic
legislation now before the
Congress could have impact
on U.S. foreign policy in the
Middle East in the next few
years much as OPEC's prob-
lems are beginning to do
right now. This is the Ad-
ministration's proposal to
deregulate natural gas
prices.
Few subjects are as com-
plicated, with so many
commentators offering
their own version of what is
fact or fiction. But some
fundamentals should be
111 kept in mind by those who
want to see greater U.S.
energy independence and
freedom from oil blackmail.
111 First, oil and gas prices,
production and use are
linked together and com-
pete with each other and
other forms of energy. Sec-
ond, under current controls,
the emphasis became on
• producing the most expen-
•
sive gas, a situation which
obviously should be
changed.
The solution, which the
Administration intends
by this legislation, is to
eventually decontrol all
natural gas prices, while
attempting to cushion the
consumer from any
short-term price in-
creases.
If the decontrol of oil
prices in 1981 — leading to
falling oil prices and declin-
ing imports — is a guide, de-
control of natural gas
should also provide similar
benefits.
With U.S. oil imports at a
record 11-year low last
month (1.8 million barrels
per day for the week ending
Feb. 25), we would be put-
ting another nail in the cof-
fin of the Arab oil weapon by
producing even more
natural gas. This outcome
should be kept in mind as
the gas deregulation pro-
posal is debated and dis-
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* * *
A curious debate topic has
cropped up recently at meet-
ings of Jewish organiza-
tions — should there be
"Jewish" Political Action
Committees (PACs)? By
posing this question, a
judgment is being made
that the creation of such
PACs per se might be
"wrong." Given their legal-
ity under the Federal Elec--
tion Campaign laws, the
limits placed on their con-
tributions ($5,000 per can-
didate per election); and the
fact that there are almost
4,000 registered PACs of
every stripe and persuasion
— the answer to the above
should be obvious. Yes,
there should be — and more.
The small number of
locally-based "pro-
Israel" PACs scattered
around the country is
certainly not a threat to
the democratic process
and represents only a
fraction of Jewish politi-
cal giving.
On the contrary, if
American Jews failed to use
every legitimate means at
their disposal to express
their opinions, gain access
to elected officials and seek
to exert their influence,
they would be remiss in
their obligations both as
American citizens and as
Jews.
Perhaps a more appropri-
ate subject of debate in the
Jewish community today
should be — "How can we
encourage more Jewish
political activity, including
the support of pro-Israel
PACs?"
* * *
Another potential Demo-
cratic nominee for the
Presidency has emerged —
Senator Dale Bumpers of
Arkansas. Bumpers first
gained the attention (and
the gratitude) of the Jewish
community by defeating Is-
rael's most prominent critic
in the Senate, the chairman
of the Senate Foreign Rela-
tions Committee, William
Fulbright, in a 1974 pri-
mary contest.
Since then, Bumpers
has had a fine record of
support on the issue of
foreign aid, but voted in
favor of the Saudi F-15
sale, while saying no to
the AWACS three years
later. More recently,
however, Bumpers has
been both publicly and
privately critical of Is-
rael's actions in Lebanon
in a more visible role than
most of his colleagues.
These more recent ex-
pressions by Bumpers have
marred his previous overall
positive record, and are
cause for concern since the
Senator, who serves on the
Senate's Appropriations
and Energy and Natural
Resources Committees, has
not been active in foreign
policy issues.
Some observers feel that
the interest he is displaying
for attaining national office
is actually motivated by his
desire to be the Vice
Presidential nominee. If it
is entirely too early to pre-
dict who will gain the top
spot, it is even more
foolhardy to guess the run-
ning mate, a hurried choice
usually left to the
Presidential nominee and
then rubber-stamped by the
convention.
Friday, March 18, 1983 15
Yad Vashem Offers Seminar
for Teaching the Holocaust
JERUSALEM — A
teacher's institute on the
-Holocaust will be offered by
Yad Vashem this summer
in conjunction with the Na-
tional Institute on the
Holocaust.
The purpose of the course
is to give qualified partici-
pants a thorough introduc-
tion to the subject which
will equip them with histor-
ical information, conceptual
frameworks and teaching
methods.
The Hebrew University
will offer up to six credits for
the course, which will be
compacted into a three-
and-a-half week schedule.
For information on the
seminar, write to Teaching
the Holocaust, Yad Vashem
Education Department,
P.O. Box 3477, Jerusalem,
Israel 91034.
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