I'm very excited to be posting my first diary here on DailyKos! I read DailyKos all the time, and I appreciate all of the thoughtful debate, the innovative new ideas, and the enthusiasm that you all provide here. I look forward to posting my thoughts here from time to time between now and November 2006 -- and thereafter as a newly elected U.S. Senator!
Today, I'd like to tell you briefly why I'm running for the Senate, share some of my ideas about the kind of comprehensive energy plan we need in America, and last but not least, take some time to respond to any comments and questions you may have.
First, why I'm running. I think it's time that our political leaders focus on real solutions for people, for a change. As the county attorney for Hennepin County, the largest county in Minnesota, I've prosecuted white-collar con artists just as aggressively as I've gone after street criminals. I've emphasized results, not rhetoric. And those Minnesota values -- simple ideals like common sense and fair play -- are surely needed in Washington.
I think it's wrong that Washington is handing out tax cuts to multimillionaires, while college tuition has soared 80 percent for everyday working Minnesotans. I think it's wrong that the administration misled the American public about the reasons for invading Iraq and then claimed "mission accomplished" when it so clearly wasn't. I think it's wrong that millions of Americans can't afford the health care they need ... that the wealthy have endless access to government, but everyday working families are so rarely heard.
That's why I want to go to Washington to fight for what's right. I want to work for a comprehensive national energy plan, for fair prices for our farmers, for accessible, affordable and quality health care, for Social Security that's a guarantee not a gamble, for fiscal responsibility, for clean air and water so we can eat the fish we catch in our Minnesota lakes.
We are going to win this race and give Minnesotans the kind of leader in the Senate who will fight for what's right.
Now, on to energy policy. Many of you may have already seen our ads running across the blogosphere, and I thank all of you who have clicked through, read, and signed my "gas price gougers" petition. But this is only one component of what we need in a comprehensive energy plan.
It's time for a true national energy strategy that will promote "Energy Freedom and Opportunity" for all Americans. Just yesterday, I spoke at the University of Minnesota to outline some of my ideas for such an energy strategy.
We've already had to contend with skyrocketing prices at the gas pump, and now we face the prospect of record-high heating costs this winter. And in the long-term, a growing dependence on foreign oil threatens America's prosperity and national security.
But homegrown renewable energy like ethanol and wind power promise to transform our economy, reform our foreign policy, protect our natural resources, and renew and restore our rural communities. Here's what I think we need to do:
- Gas Price Gouging Penalty. Oil companies should be subject to financial sanctions for price gouging and market manipulation. They should be required to use their enormous profits to provide relief for consumers and to make greater investments in renewable energy.
- Ethanol, Biodiesel and Biomass. I want to take Minnesota's new 20% standard for ethanol content in gasoline and extend it to the national level, while also supporting biodiesel and other biomass fuels.
- Wind Power and Renewable Electricity Standards. Minnesota already has a 10% renewable electricity standard that calls on utilities to supply a minimum percentage of their electricity from renewable sources like wind power and solar. We should elevate this standard to the national level -- and then require that 20% of the electricity generated by 2020 come from renewable sources.
- Energy Efficiency and Vehicles. Incentives should be strengthened for both the manufacture and purchase of hybrid and flexible-fuel vehicles that offer better fuel economy and rely more on renewable energy like ethanol and biodiesel. The federal government should convert existing cars and trucks to a fuel efficient fleet by 2010.
- Research & Development. The federal government must provide greater support to public-private partnerships to jump-start research and development on renewable energy technologies. We've already seen examples of this work here in Minnesota, like the Initiative for Renewable Energy and the Environment and the Energy Alley Research Workgroup.
As we have seen through the information age and the technology boom, an emerging renewable energy revolution will create new industries, generate millions of high-tech jobs, and bring sweeping productivity advances throughout the economy.
If you'd like to read more of my ideas about a national energy strategy, click here to check out a copy of the speech I delivered at the University of Minnesota yesterday. And if you like what you see, I hope you'll join this cause by signing our online "gas gougers" petition.
With that, I've gone on for long enough in this first diary entry! I look forward to your questions and your comments. I'll be able to stick around here until about 3:45 pm ET to respond, so please let me know what's on your mind.
Thanks, and I look forward to checking in with you frequently over the weeks and months ahead.
Amy