Dear Mr. Mays:

Thank you for writing to me about our energy needs.

I understand the frustration and anger that comes when we fill up at the pump. Unfortunately, we are suffering the consequences of thirty years of broken energy policy. Congress has failed to provide leadership ever since the oil shocks of the 1970s, and I regret that we did not learn from our earlier experiences to steer towards smarter energy policies.

I do not agree that we can drill our way out of the current energy crisis. It will be years after the moment drilling commences before a single drop of gasoline makes it into a gas tank.  Also, regretting
missed opportunities in the 90s, as many have, will not solve the current problem. Instead, we must tackle it with today’s solutions, which means developing alternative energies and greater efficiency.
Drilling at the expense of other solutions will not make us energy independent, or ultimately serve our nation’s best financial and security interests. I also support the recent measures Congress has
taken to ease the financial pain, such as increased funds for mass transit and stricter curbing of speculation.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me. I truly appreciate hearing your concerns.
Sincerely,

Jim Cooper
Member of Congress

I really appreciate Congressman Cooper referring to me appropriately as “Mr. Mays” and seemingly personally replying to me, so I thought I’d have the same consideration and tell him that he’s just wrong on this issue.

Congressman Cooper,

I agree that we have a failed energy policy but respectfully disagree with you that we cannot alleviate the current high cost of oil prices by drilling domestically for more oil. The mere speculation that the Federal Government plans on opening up drilling for more domestic production has dramatically reduced the cost of oil in the United States (See the President’s comments and action of lifting the [Executive Moratorium] on off shore drilling). That being said, I feel as if we should actively look into alternative energy sources but we need immediate action which will impact oil prices and the cost consumers are facing at the pump.

You represent me Congressman Cooper, and as your constituent, I expect you to act now and side with Republicans on opening up drilling in ANWR and off the coasts and I’m 100% sure a majority of the people in your district do as well, as national polls indicate. This issue is important to every American, and if you continue to work for our vote, you will act appropriately on this issue.

You said “It will be years after the moment drilling commences before a single drop of gasoline makes it into a gas tank.” Bill Clinton used that argument when he denied drilling in ANWR in the 90’s stating that it was pointless to drill because it would take 10 years to reap the benefits of that drilling. Congressman Cooper, it’s 10 years later, and this old and decayed way of looking at this issue has gone on for far too long. As I mentioned earlier, the mere speculation of increased domestic production lowers the cost of oil so it’s a bit naive to think that opening drilling won’t decrease the cost of oil.

Thank you for listening to my views and please earn my vote as this is one of the most important issues to me in this upcoming election season.

Sincerely,
Mr. Mays

I doubt I’m going to have any impact on how Jim Cooper votes on this issue but at least I’m doing my duty and informing him of how I feel. Congressman Cooper has always personally replied to my emails, something not a lot of other public officials do, so he’s cool for doing that. What do you guys think about this?

“We could save all the oil that they’re talking about getting off drilling if everybody was just inflating their tires and getting regular tune-ups. You could save just as much.”

So he thinks that the laws of supply and demand and oil speculation can be solved by inflating our tires more and getting regular tune-ups? The some SIXTY BILLION BARRELS OF OIL we have the potential of getting from ANWR and from drilling off the coasts can be forgotten and aren’t needed as long as we inflate our tires and get regular tune-ups?

I’ve asked this countless times in the past, but how on earth is this man still a contender in the race to become the President? How is this man defensible? Who can support such colossal ignorance? Are Americans really this stupid???

This dude is completely opposite of Barack Obama! This guy has little experience in politics, much like Obama, and doesn’t really shore up any loose ends, which makes VP’s so valuable during a presidential race. What does this tell me?

First thing is first, Kaine is in the lead because Obama has a very strong chance of winning Virginia which hasn’t been carried by a democrat since 1964. Virginia is obviously a conservative state and a conservative-democrat governor from that state on the ticket gives Obama a really strong chance to secure those 13 electoral votes.

Second, and maybe the most serious and real reason is that the swing or independent voters who are currently up in the air about the ‘08 race will look at Kaine and see a more balanced ticket. Whereas Barack Obama is for abortions, some ignorant voter will see that Kaine isn’t and think that actually matters. Or gun control, or taxes, etc, etc, etc. This would be purely a political pick, not based on Kaine’s actual views or positions, but based on the fact that he can get Obama some votes.

Mitt Romney is currently in the lead as the VP nod for McCain because he actually brings some added meat to the ticket. Romney is obviously very strong in economics which shores up a McCain weak point. Romney doesn’t differ with McCain on virtually every issue like Kain does with Obama. Obama is once again showing how abhorrently pathetic and weak he is in politics, and is even more showing that he will do virtually anything possible to get elected. Change and hope? Sounds like the same old Washington politics to me Obama.

The owners of CoolSprings Galleria plan a 200,000 square foot addition to the mall, an open-air shopping center with rooftop parking decks that will be built in 2011 on its existing parking lot.

“This is something we have wanted to do for a very long time, mainly because major retailers come to us and want to be part of CoolSprings Galleria and we have not had space for them,’’ said mall marketing director Dana Katterjohn.

The CoolSprings Galleria currently has a 99 percent occupancy rate, which makes it impossible to bring many new retailers, Katterjohn said.

I know that during the last recession, mall capacity rates were WELL ABOVE 99 percent! Oh wait… Could it be that things just aren’t as bad off as a lot of people are making them out to be? Hm, I think so!