Working Americans have every right to be outraged at the skyrocketing gas prices! Moms and dads, small businesses, and all hardworking Americans have even more gripe with Washington’s inaction in the face of what I consider a “hidden tax” on workers in our country. This week, John McCain introduced his proposal to end the federal moratorium on drilling in the outer continental shelf. This proposal does a number of things, but most importantly, if it were signed into law, it would signal to the world that we are serious about producing American energy. With that, upward pressure on prices in the spot markets and at the pump would likely diminish. In Virginia, deep water energy exploration would mean approximately $250 million/year for 40 years. This money could be used to help clean up the Chesapeake Bay, as well as provide dedicated revenues to research and develop alternative fuel sources to replace the fossil fuels that we are receiving from Middle Eastern countries and others who don’t always have America’s interest in mind. If a President McCain were sworn into office, deep water energy exploration would mean more jobs and more security for us all.