Your view: Two views on Talent - against

Senator Jim Talent's TV ads were misleading enough but his radio ads are full of deception and deceit. He states that last year's Energy Bill would "lower gas prices." He seems oblivious to the fact that Missourians are still paying nearly $3 per gallon for gas. He further fails to mention that throughout his entire career he voted seven times against alternative fuels. It was only as re-

election time neared, did he support including ethanol in Big Oil's Energy Bill.

The Big Oil Energy Bill did nothing to lower price of gas nor did it protect consumers. Rather, it gave over $9 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to the big oil companies. THEN after providing these tax breaks, less than a year later, the GOP Congress provided $5 billion in giveaways to Big Oil, handing over a total of $14 billion to their friends.

So, why is Jim Talent spending so much money trying to make Energy Bill seem better than it is? For starters, GOP Senators like Talent received massive campaign contributions from big oil companies; Talent received more than $239,000 in last election! He was Exxon's No.1 Senate candidate to fund in the last election. To pay his friends back, he voted on billions to Big Oil and failed to stop market manipulations.

Talent has been calling himself "the father of ethanol" this election cycle. His new found fondness for alternative fuels follows 18 yrs and seven critical votes against ethanol, including a vote against fully funding ethanol initiatives in March 2006. So, when you drive up to that gas pump, say softly to yourself: "Thank you, Senator. I am sure Exxon needs this money more than I do!

Shirla Howard

Dexter, MO