To the editor,

In April former President Trump invited America's oil executives to his Florida home exclaiming “Drill, Baby, Drill,” and pressing them to donate a billion dollars to his campaign fund. For their billion dollars he would lease more drilling sites for them, reduce regulations, and make their lives easier.

All these executives make multi-million-dollar salaries and benefits. They are powerful and important people who were flattered by Trump wining and dining them. Unfortunately for Trump’s plan, these moguls of the oil and gas industries have no appetite to increase production. Even as America is at peak production, production is meeting demand and prices for the oil companies are very profitable. The companies are embracing financial discipline and don’t want prices to fall. Trump is naive enough to think they will do his bidding when it is not in their interests.

On Thursday night Trump promised his followers that he would reduce oil prices with the chant “Drill, Baby, Drill.” Unfortunately, the only way oil, gas and electricity will get cheaper is by reducing demand using electronic vehicles, heat pumps, and solar and wind generation of electricity. We can bring inflation down with green policies.

Louis Drecktrah

River Falls