Bob McCarty Writes

I typed the words, “energy independence,” in a Google News Search and found articles about algae, wind and other renewable sources of energy being touted as solutions to the current crisis that has Americans paying record-high prices for fuel. While I agree that some renewable sources of energy — corn ethanol excluded — hold promise for the future, I propose a more cost-effective and immediate solution: DRILL CONGRESS!

By DRILL CONGRESS!, I’m not suggesting you punch Nancy Pelosi or any of her liberal colleagues in their noses — or worse — though I sometimes feel angry enough to do just that. Instead, I’m advocating that you take another kind of action — that is, if you’ve grown tired of paying upwards of $4 per gallon for regular gasoline:

Every time you go to the gas station, I recommend you take out your cell phone or Blackberry® and make calls to each and every elected official charged with representing you in Congress.

Each time you call, demand that the person at the other end of the line — trust me, it won’t be the congressman — pass along this message to his/her boss:

“Tell the congressman/senator that I want him/her to pass ASAP legislation that will make it possible for oil and gas firms to explore in locations that were previously off limits — Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (a.k.a., “ANWaR”) and numerous coastal locations — and to life environmental laws that, for nearly 30 years, have made it unfeasible for oil and gas producers to construct new and more-efficient refineries.”

It matters little whether you call local offices or the offices in Washington. Just call and call often! With millions of Americans calling, they’ll eventually succumb to the pressure.

Below is a link to a web site where you can find the names and phone numbers of your elected officials in Washington:

Contact Your Elected Officials

To show others how you feel and to get them involved in this grassroots effort, get yourself a DRILL CONGRESS! merchandise like the shirt shown above and wear or display it proudly.