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June 23, 2007
The Honorable Joseph Courtney
Dear Representative Courtney: At this point in time, my opinion of you is that you’re one of the good guys. Though I am an independent, I generally vote against Republicans, and had I moved to Connecticut sooner, I would certainly have voted for you. I have sent you several e-mails through various organizations that I support and your quick response has always been sympathetic to my concerns—thank you. Though the Bush administration has exacerbated the situation gravely, I do believe that our country has been headed in the wrong direction for some time. The influence of big business, and especially the energy companies and defense contractors, continues to grow and it weakens the very foundation on which the United States was built. Our founding fathers did not intend that we should devolve into a plutocracy and took steps to prevent it. During the last “Gilded Age” further measures were taken by strong leaders, such as (“Trust Buster”) Theodore Roosevelt to put us back on track, but once again the rich and powerful are intent on rapaciously increasing their wealth and influence to the detriment of the People. Today I write to you regarding the abominable performance of the Senate in passing an energy bill that was heavily influenced by special interest groups. My hope is that you and your colleagues in the House of Representatives will do a better job of representing the needs of the People. The global warming crisis and the quality of the air that we breathe demands that Congress pass an effective energy bill. The bill passed by the Senate just won't get the job done. In particular, I would like to see a House energy bill that: includes tougher automobile and truck fuel standards that can't be set aside by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration; rejects dependence on dirty biofuels like corn ethanol and palm oil; eliminates giveaways to the oil and gas industry; and that contains incentives and mandates for the usage of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar power—we have the technology and all that is needed now is the desire. If the People were recipients of the truth from their government regarding the situation, rather than industry controlled propaganda, they would demand it. Thank you for your attention to this incredibly important matter. Sincerely, Michael D. Kerrigan
cc.: Senators Christopher Dodd and Joseph Lieberman |
