In Prof. Frary’s latest political ad, he suggests the U.S. should use Norway as a model for our petroleum industry. What his ad doesn’t tell us is that Norway’s petroleum industry is state-operated, meaning its profits go not to Exxon executives and stock-holders but to a trust to provide pensions and other social services to the citizens of Norway. Also, Norway taxes heavily both the production and consumption of oil with those taxes again supporting social services. Norway’s oil industry is very heavily regulated to insure environmental safety. Right now the price of gas in Norway is $6.27 a gallon.

Personally, I do think we could learn a lot from the way Norway regulates and profits from its oil industry, not to mention how Norway keeps both its fishing industry and its coastline healthy, but I doubt that most Republicans would agree. Furthermore, I think Prof. Frary is very brave to suggest in an election campaign that we consider paying $6.27 a gallon for gas, even if a side benefit is subsidized health care and the absence of poverty.

Wendy Knickerbocker

Castine