Oil On The Brain

Seems everywhere I turn someone is talking about oil. Every time I drive down the street and see the fuel price signs, I shake my head. The TV, the radio, and the paper have an article or discussion every single day. Even the politicians are starting to make oil the central theme. My question is, if everyone is talking about it how come nothing is being done?
People are complaining about the Alaska oil being sent over to Japan because we can't refine it here. We don't have the capacity nor the facilities on the west coast. I suggested building a refinery in Coos Bay Oregon. It is the only deep water port that is almost un-used. It was once a thriving hub of the lumber industry and is now empty of major industry.
Building basic infrastructure that supports the oil industry would reduce the cost to the consumer, reduce our vulnerability to accident or terrorism and keep jobs at home where we need them. Putting a refinery on the west coast makes sense. Most of our capacity is in the Gulf of Mexico and that means we are exposed to hurricanes and other major storms. The never ending story of Katrina could play out again and again further damaging fuel production and our economy.
People are complaining about all the money being sent to the middle east for oil. Yet every time it comes up for us to drill and use our own oil it is stopped cold. Even if we uncapped the wells we simply stopped using it would make a dent. A small move in the market would do much to shift the tendencies.
Oil is at $120 a barrel and seems to still be rising. Much of the price is driven by speculation. Speculation is simply how investors see oil based on world events. As long as Iran, Iraq, Syria and all the other middle east nations keep saber rattling and stirring up chaos the price will keep rising. The terror organizations and countries like Iran hope to drain us of all financial and worldly support. So far it looks like they are winning. The Democrats have been helping with their surrender tactics and verbal praise of those who stand against us. Our PC politics have removed all aggression and have given us the portrait of the toothless paper tiger to the world. We can't seem to stand up for anything.
Our monetary policies and selfish ambitions have driven the value of the dollar lower and lower causing everything else to increase in price. The goal was to increase our ability to trade with other nations by reducing the dollar. This is a flawed concept that believes you can buy friends. These policies need to be turned back and the nation needs to once again base its currency on something. We once stood as the rock of Gibraltar with gold as our standard barer.
Once Again I Ask, What Is Being Done?
Here are our options:
Build more capacity and drill, recover and refine our own oil.
Build and/or complete the nuclear power plants proposed in the 70's and 80's. Take this vast resource of power and use it.
Build Coal fired power stations with clean burning technology to ease power demand.
Encourage the use of electric vehicles by those who travel less then 30miles a day. (The Nuclear and Coal plants will make this viable)
Offer incentives for companies to employ from home and reduce grid lock.
Build and Improve Freeways and Rails to freely move people and products around with limited to no wait time. (idling just uses up fuel)
Come up with a sustainable plan for the lumber industry and return us to a net exporter again and stop the million acre forest fires from lack of management.
Choose and encourage effective alternative energy sources that have a positive impact on society. (wind, Solar, geothermal,etc... These are natural occurring events that we can harness energy from.)

I could go on and on here. Let us stop the round robin of blame games and start working on solutions that will keep America moving.