An Open Letter to Senators Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe

June 29, 2009

Dear Senators Snowe and Collins:

Last night, I listened to a radio interview with T. Boone Pickens. In this interview, he detailed his solutions to America's increasing dependancy on foreign oil. He has spent $60,000,000 of his own money to inform the public about the problem and his ideas for a solution. As I'm sure you know, we consume 25% of the world's oil, most of which is imported from people who don't like us, and we are only 4% of the world's population. This country has known for nearly 50 years that this time was coming and yet no one, Democrat or Republican, has come up with a plan to decrease our consumption and develop our own resources.

Mr. Pickens offered one point that made my blood run cold. He stated that China has already made oil deals with Venezuela, Brazil, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and is now in talks with the government of Kuwait. In a very short time, we will be at the mercy of our enemies and we could find ourselves paralyzed on their whim. If we go to war over this (God forbid) all of our oil will go to the military and we will be helpless. Our economy will certainly collapse and vital food and supplies will no longer be shipped across country because of the prohibitive cost of truck transport. Even if this event doesn't happen, at the very least oil could be $300. per barrel within 10 years. This is only one point that Mr. Pickens expanded upon and the others were not comforting to ponder, either.

I am very angry that this government seems to spend it's time whining over what might have been instead of trying to get to work and keep this country from disintegrating in our lifetimes. Congress must have figured out by now that invading any random country in the middle east is not the solution. What is so difficult about funding alternative energy plans? Why not support giant wind farms in our Western plains? Why not start making cars that use natural gas? Wouldn't that boost these dying auto companies? Wouldn't that produce jobs? Wouldn't that revitalize cities and towns that are nearly deserted at this point? How about a few nuclear energy plants? For heaven's sake, we are the country who came up with the idea in the first place and we don't even use it! That is just plain lazy. Europe is laughing at our stupidity and lack of motivation to save ourselves from a certain fate.

Please don't allow this to happen to our country. I would ask that the US once again becomes the world leader in innovation and invention and gain the respect of our tired citizens who are sick of hearing nothing but hate, fearmongering, and conspiracy theories spewing from unqualified talking heads on TV and radio, who are nothing but gasbags who have figured out how to make millions out of promoting extremism. Don't let them take over YOUR job of representing those of us who have elected you and live the everyday life of American citizens. I don't want to spend my old age burning my furniture to keep warm while our "enemy du jour" controls the trickle of oil.

I do hope you will take this seriously and support Mr. Picken's programs. He is the only person who seems to have a committed interest and a viable solution to this soon-to-be catastrophic problem.

Thank you very much for your attention to this issue.

Sea Rose

The Media and Michael Jackson

I don't know about some of you, but I am totally disgusted with the extent of the coverage of Michael Jackson's death. You would think the president or some world leader had died. This is a man who had led a less than exemplary life and he is now being held up as some sort of hero. What kind of an example is this for the young people of today? Let's face it. He was a druggie and lived a life of excesses and we want to hold him up as an example?

I do not know who is charge determining all this coverage but it is a huge mistake and I suspect money is involved. I turn on my TV and get the weather report and then turn it off. Does anyone realize that there are important things going on in the world? How many soldiers died or were wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq this week? How many families lost loved ones who led very nice, normal lives? How many people died fighting for freedom in Iran? What is happening on the health care front and on the energy bill?

Let's stop making heroes out of people who do not deserve it and concentrate on making the world a better place. Let's hold up decent people to be examples for our youth!

Health Care Reform and The Public Option

The question that boggles my mind is why would anyone not want to support health care reform that includes a public option? Do these Senators and Representatives want to deny millions of Americans the same quality of life that they enjoy at taxpayer expense? Don’t they realize that m72% of Americans want a public option. They hardly ever listen to the people and they surely do not give us credit for our intelligence and our compassion for those who do not enjoy the same health benefits that so many of us have.
One reason that pops up for me is that they have all received so much money from the healthcare industry. For example, Susan Collins of Maine had received over $750 million dollars in campaign contributions from the healthcare industry. So is she going to sell out her constituents in order to pay back contributors? Now she is just one example. If one goes to http://www.opensecrets.org/ you can find out that information on any legislator.
Donations from the Health Care industry to a few of the top leadership people in the Senate follow
Mitch McConnell (R) - $696,450.00
Harry Reid (D) - $282,150.00
John Kyl ( R ) - $651, 883.00
Now maybe you can see why some Senators do not support the public option?
People, if healthcare reform is going to happen we need to get involved.

Dr. Howard Dean now has over 350,000 signatures that he will deliver to Congress this coming Thursday. You can add your signature by going to the site http://standwithdrdean.com/
Let’s make reform happen for the people of this country.

Today Show

I don't know about you folks, but I have stopped watching the Today Show. You get about 10 minutes of actual news and then it is all lightweight entertainment shows and news.

They also give too much air time to people like Sarah Palin, Miss California and every murder that involves something spectacular. That is just giving publicity to those whose egos are fed by it. By giving air time to these people they are just feeding those extremists out there who want to destroy our society.

It is really too bad because I really like Meredith, Al Roker and Ann Curry. Matt Lauer is very arrogant and full of himself.

So, I watch the local news and weather and then shut the TV off for the day.

How do you all feel!