Did you know that the ban on off-shore drilling and oil shale recovery on federal lands expires on September 30, 2008? In a recent BusinessTrends Blog post picked by Fox News, Karen Kerrigan writes that an increasing number of Americans are learning that Congress can allow this ban to expire, which will allow access to significant home-grown energy supply. It's as simple as that. October 1, 2008 has been dubbed "American Energy Freedom Day" by Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas).  With continued public pressure on Congress, "energy freedom" is just around the corner.

Guest Columnist: Thomas M. Sullivan

Last week, Gallup published its annual survey of public confidence in U.S. institutions. Small business ranks high in the eyes of the American public, above courts, schools, and news organizations. Confidence in small business is close to the overwhelming support Americans place in our military and even exceeds that of the police and our places of worship. Chief Counsel for Advocacy Tom Sullivan is not surprised.