Sedona, AZ (June 24, 2008) - With gas at $4 a gallon and oil at $130 a barrel businessman, author and independent candidate for US Congress in Arizona's 1st congressional district, Brent Maupin, called upon the major party presidential candidates to, "Stop pandering and offer real solutions to our energy crisis."

"Senators Obama and McCain continue to tell us why the other's plan will not work," Maupin said. "Unfortunately neither one of them has offered any real solutions. Americans deserve better than Republican and Democratic Party talking points."

"This is what happens when candidates are lost in the system," Maupin added. "They fail to identify the problem and then find a solution as any person with common sense would do."

"The problem is obviously that Americans are dependent on foreign oil. Therefore the solution should be to move away from foreign oil," Maupin stated. "In business we put all our options on the table; we should be doing the same with our energy crisis."

"Wind, solar, tar sands, oil shale, biofuels from switchgrass, algae, woodchips and even offshore drilling should all be put on the table," Maupin continued. "Putting everything on the table also means taking a look at the lack of competition among domestic oil companies. In 2004 a U.S. Governmental Accountability Office report found that mergers in the oil industry directly led to higher prices. This report did not even include the large mergers after the year 2000, such as ChevronTexaco and ConocoPhillips. The largest five oil refiners in the U.S. control over half of domestic oil refinery capacity. Obviously Congress needs to investigate anti-competitive practices and restore competition to the domestic oil marketplace."

"Since no one else is doing it I've taken it upon myself to come up with a comprehensive Energy Plan for America. It's really not all that complicated," Maupin said. "Not only will it include a common sense approach, but it will allow for a large percentage of new drilling to be done by smaller, innovative American companies that will give the larger oil companies a run for their money. This way not only do we become energy independent and stimulate the economy, but more importantly, spread the wealth around to more Americans."

Maupin concluded, "It seems only an independent thinker can put all these options on the table in Congress. I believe based on the way this campaign is shaping up my opponents will do little more than repeat the same old party rhetoric. Arizona and all of America deserve better."

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Brent Maupin is a business owner, civil engineer, author, singer and songwriter and won a battle with cancer which could not be beaten. He is a father of two and has been a resident of northern Arizona for over 15 years. For more information please visit http://www.winwithmaupin.com/.

Paid for by Brent Maupin for Congress, PO Box 21032, Sedona, AZ 86341