Insights: Justice for New York Woman, Green greed fails, Oil drilling helps consumers

Washington, D.C. – It took 5 years, but a New York woman gets justice.

Nancy Genovese, a Long Island mother of three, was arrested by local sheriffs for taking pictures of a National Guard helicopter, which she wanted for her pro-military website.

Deputies accused her of trespassing. They got more hostile when they found she had attended Tea Party rallies previously. In her car was a rifle, totally legal, because she had stopped at a local shooting range.

Genovese was put in jail and held for four days before she could make bail. Charges were dropped, but only after deputies publicly accused her of being a right-wing TeaBagger terrorist, who they claimed was “armed to the teeth.”

After five years, a jury agreed the arrest, the charges and the jailing were all wrongful, and awarded her $1.1-million.

When government abuses people because they don’t like their politics, then government must be held accountable.

Meanwhile, American consumers are saving billions but green energy advocates are miserable.

Overcoming all barriers, American oil producers have created a bonanza for consumers.

Savings from lower gasoline prices are over $1,000 a year per household. Transportation costs drop, so things get more affordable. This is true stimulus, plus we’re escaping dependence on foreign oil.

But green energy folks are unhappy: They depend on government handouts because the energy they produce is so so very expensive. They couldn’t compete with higher oil prices and really can’t compete with lower prices.

Greedy green energy folks told fables so they would get billions in government handouts.

For years we were told myths: We were running out of oil, it would take too long for drilling to have an impact, or it would ruin the environment.

It’s time to quit listening to those who want subsidies, and listen to those who produce for America.

NOTE: Formerly the U.S. Representative for Oklahoma’s Fifth Congressional District, Istook is a national radio commentator and analyst, and a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation. His “Insights” commentary is posted regularly at Istook.com .