American Energy Independence And The Bailout Plan

I have for several weeks received emails from a group calling themselves the "Friends of the US Chamber of Commerce." In the "About Us" section, where I would expect to see names, I find bland generalities about wanting to solve issues. Thanks, that tells me a whole lot about your group.

From day one, this group has been advocating for passage of the Wall Street Bailout Rescue plan, extolling me to contact my CongressCritters to support the plan. That is why I attempted to find out more about their organization. Their pleas did not pass the smell test. I have, on more than one occasion, emailed them back asking for specific information about WHO they represent, and WHO is behind this grassroots organization that suddenly has begun emailing me. I have received no response.

Today, I received an email telling me to THANK my elected representatives for passage of this "rescue" plan. MY representative voted AGAINST the bill, and I have already sent off a "thank you" to him for standing on principle.

HOWEVER, the Friends of the US Chamber of Commerce did provide a section for me to email to them my own thoughts on "How is the economy hurting you most." Again, the smell test is inconclusive. Below is my response to them:

Give us energy independence

I work for Fedex, and so I see the economy from the trenches. When business is bad throughout the country, shipping does not take place. When business growth disappears, people stop shipping. When fuel costs become too high, companies look for ways to reduce costs.

Looking at Fedex shipping patterns I accurately predicted the 2000-2001 recession long before the MSM was willing to admit it was taking place. WE ARE HEADED INTO ANOTHER RECESSION right now.

The cause of this recession is HUGH FUEL PRICES -- read that as OIL -- that are crippling business. For months Fedex has had a 'fuel surcharge" on every package delivered. SO, by the way does every other delivery company. That fuel surcharge has increased over time to more than 33%. THINK about that for a moment -- a more than one-third increase in the cost of shipping every single package -- when the very lifeblood of the economy is commerce.

And fuel costs -- read that as OIL -- threaten every single aspect of the American economy and our way of life.

The debate in Congress has been simplistically turned into a "drill or not drill" issue. The two sides have turned into OIL on one side and ALTERNATIVE energy on the other. It is that simplistic rhetoric that will destroy this country.

The debate should be turned into: do NOTHING or do EVERYTHING! The present approach of doing nothing will ensure that the American economy will flounder -- will collapse into a huge recession -- and the American people will suffer. The tantalizing part of this approach, of course, is that one of the major political parties can then hang the recession on the president, when in fact, it is CONGRESS and their inability to act responsibly for the past 30 years that has brought us to this precipice.

We need an "All of the above" approach -- open up oil exploration. Wind where it is most advantageous. Solar where it is practical. Biofuels where they can be used most effectively. Ethanol (ONLY WHEN PRODUCED FROM CELLULOSE -- NOT CORN WHICH IS NOT ONLY AN ANIMAL FOOD CROP BUT MOST ESSENTIAL IN FOOD ADDITIVES). Hydrogen fuel cell research and electric vehicles - of course! Geothermal and tidal -- great, where feasible. Clean coal, oil shale - YES, YES, YES!

And most of all -- clean, safe NUCLEAR POWER to power the energies of tomorrow.

The American people expect SOLUTIONS from our lawmakers in Washington, not more of the tired old rhetoric and inaction that we have gotten from Congress for the past 30 years. Or would it be fairer to say the last 50 years?

The American people want and deserve change in Washington. Not just the Hope and Change rhetoric that promises change back to the failed policies of Carter, but real change. Today, CHANGE means ACTION -- and action toward energy independence means Congress begins to work once again in the interests of the American people and allowing our nation to thrive.

The way this nation will begin to prosper once again, begins with drilling for our own oil, and ends with our one day telling the tin-pot dictators and mullahs of the world to "POUND SAND." because we don't need their oil any more.

And, as an afterthought to all those who oppose drilling for oil with the tired, "I want us to find an alternative to oil," can you imagine this scenario -- American ingenuity discovers an alternative way for the American economy to turn away from oil -- and then American oil corporations -- employing Americans -- producing American oil -- sell it to less developed nations still striving upwards toward their own economic excellence? America as an oil exporter -- now THAT is a vision for the future!