Dear Congressmen Chandler and Yarmuth

Dear Congressmen Chandler and Yarmuth:

For the first time ever, gas is consistently more than four dollars a gallon all across Kentucky. Isolated incidences became widespread earlier this week when the price went up a dime a gallon in many places.

Gas prices have risen astronomically since your party took control of Congress two years ago. Your leadership promised to get gas prices under control when they assumed power, at a time when prices were still far too high but not anywhere near what they are now. Instead, gas prices have nearly doubled in fewer than two years.

Your party offers no solution. Instead, you blame Republicans for the situation solely because the president and vice president are "oil men."

Gentlemen, how do you propose to deal with this very serious matter? What real solutions do you offer?

To date, you have put forth nothing of any value to help us get a handle on high gas prices, which are wrecking the stock market and individual and family budgets. You have instead proposed increasing taxes on oil companies, which will only result in even higher prices as oil companies raise prices to compensate for the tax increase. And you have tried to make oil companies drill on federal lands they already have under lease, but where they haven't drilled because there is no oil there.

What's worse, you have obstructed real solutions to the problems, such as drilling on oil-rich areas and increasing refining capacity. You mouth platitudes such as "we can't drill our way out of this" despite the fact that the problem is immediate and pressing, and there is no other option besides petroleum-powered vehicle for individual transportation.

Until we can develop a vehicle that travel 400 miles at current highway speeds and be completely refueled in 10 minutes or less, the internal combustion gasoline engine will not be replaced because it is impractical.

Congressmen, it is time for you to step forward and show leadership on this matter. Instead of getting your marching orders from San Francisco, it's time for you to listen to your constituents. They want the price of gas to come down and you are doing nothing to allow that to happen. As Kentuckians struggle with increasing prices for gasoline and everything else, it's time for you to act in the best interest of your state and your fellow residents of the commonwealth.