Sounds like the Government wants to run a monopoly on Helium sales...
I highly doubt there is a shortage.
Just another sham.

What department of the government is buying it?
public hospitals? defence? who ?, then it will be a question of why

We really need to rethink using a gas that there is a finite supply of, that has important industrial properties; the rethink is probably that we shouldn't use it in party balloons.

I really dunno as this is something I was told as a kid and never cared to look into it but...
Helium only happens in the US or only for the major part.
If anyone knows or cares to investigate, to confirm or deny what I say.
I heard that since the US was the only place where helium occurs, it was illegal to sell to other countries without approval, this is why hydrogen was used in dirigibles and why the hindenburg went boom.
Nowadays I imagine a fleet of dirigibles would not be a threat however.

Well I have to admit my ignorance on helium. I had no idea it was that hard to come-by. I just assumed it was created in a lab environment. I feel a bit ashamed that I was not more aware of helium being that hard to get or how it was produced.

Raist

There is a monopoly on gasses. You need big bucks to build a plant. At one point it was hard to get oxygen when the war started. They don't plan ahead and there is no competition to force them to.

Doesn't the Moon have lots of helium? Wasn't shell and others planning to excavate that?

Personally I think using helium for party balloons is a waist of a very useful and important element that can and will run out.

It's non renewable and is used in many medical devices and who knows what else.

But that's my personal opinion.

Earth has a helium shortage. America's got the largest source of helium (from natural gas) and Congress has been selling it hyper cheap and wants their stockpile sold off by 2015.

After 2015 we could charge LOTS for Helium, but we could only produce it for maybe 20-30 years before we consume our entire Natural Gas sources.

Maybe Congress decided to start charging Premium Prices this year.
Congress screwed us when they undersold our Helium.

Isn't Helium a forever fuel to the Papp Engine people.
It is a shame to waste Helium.
When all the coal and oil is gone the elite will still have their Helium engines
to fly around the world. Well like they do now 24/7 under the radar.
No radiator required, Helium recoils from the Tesla coil spark in a never ending cycle.
Yeah something is up and its a free energy roundup by the elite.

As 2015 approaches the stock pile is due to be sold off to private buyers to save the government the cost of storing it. As the end of the stockpile sell off approaches the buyers are getting more desperate for a supply and this hording is driving up the price. It has been artificially low for more than 1.5 decades as the government was dumping the strategic reserves driving down the price. What this shortage is being caused by is the fight for the remaining reserve. The Earth constantly creates Helium from nuclear decay. Alpha decay is the release of helium so some of that will always end up in natural gas fields near areas that have natural uranium in the near by rock strata.