Dear Mr. President:

Let's talk about oil consumption.

How come a smart man like you is proposing to exploit the North Eastern coastline of the United States, and the Gulf Coast in search of more oil and natural gas? To decrease our dependence on foreign fuels, yet still meet our demand, you say? Sir: you are addressing the wrong portion of that problem. What needs fixing is not our supply chain, but our demand. Cut down on the overall American consumption of fossil fuels and you can automatically reduce our demand for foreign oil. This is not hard to understand.

What would the American people do if the supply was cut before we altered our demand? We would adjust rather quickly. Necessity is the root of invention. Alternative sources of energy abound in this country. I am not talking about solar and wind and wave power either. I am talking about something as simple as harnessing the energy created when kids play on trampolines, and people use treadmills in a gym. Even simpler, I am talking about the fact that walking and cycling become "convenient" when filling your gas tank is no longer a viable economic activity for most Americans. Our grandparents survived the Great Depression by responding to supply shortage with creative thinking and changing their behavior regarding product usage and consumption.

Who knows, the ingenuity that Americans could show might even benefit us in other ways. Small businesses that assist the general public with harnessing alternative energy will have a much better chance of thriving when the big oil companies are not strong arming the market. The benefits would even expand into other areas of the American lifestyle. When people have to walk places, they tend to lose weight. Health care in the United States will be much more effective and affordable for taxpayers when half the population is not facing illness related to obesity and lack of exercise. 

There's a word I like to use for your current plan Mr. President. That word is "DUMB". A year and a half ago, when I stood in front of a convenience store and hounded beer seeking college students to register to vote, I would never have thought that today I would see that type of plan emerge from your office. A plan so incredibly flawed I could never have even imagined it when I volunteered at your campaign headquarters in Chicago shortly after you committed to exploring the idea of the Presidency three years ago. Do you understand what I am saying? You have wholeheartedly disappointed me.

I've heard it said that you are just appeasing the GOP with this proposed plan of energy expansion and environmental degradation. Is it worth it? Will the ignorance you have shown of vital East Coast ecosystems and the entire flawed energy supply and demand chain make Republicans any more likely to go along with your future proposals? Probably not. They have their own agenda and it does not appear to include supporting you in the long term. Is this type of energy policy what America needs? Another band aid that does not even address the root of the consumptive illness that is rotting our country? No. We need a policy that first puts a mirror in front of the American people so we can see how we weaken our country by being unwilling to change the way we consume everything.

Good luck to you Mr. President. There is still time for you to make me proud.

Love,

Lillian