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Surging gas prices: Democrats offer hope with solutions that invest in the long-term

(IDP)Record high gas prices this spring are a painful reminder of the Republican Party’s chronic failure to stand up to multinational oil corporations. Their lack of a long-term strategy to reduce America’s dependence on oil can be seen at the gas pump every day.

For over seven years America has seen the warning signs. Chaos in the Middle East and the disruption caused by Hurricane Katrina even led President Bush to admit in 2006 that “America is addicted to oil.” What has been the Republican response? Feed the addiction so the oil industry will continue to enjoy huge profits. Republicans candidates from the White House to the Statehouse are content to continue those failed policies.

Democrats have long demanded a long-term energy plan to invest in energy alternatives and conservation and to invest in the ingenuity of local communities to come up with solutions. Those investments are not popular with old oil interests that fuel the Republican machine, but they make sense for America and they offer hope for families and small businesses. In Idaho this year, Democrats again fought to help communities come up with their own solutions to transportation and energy problems. Republicans stopped them but Democratic candidates for the legislature are continuing the fight.

It’s the same old Republican shift: big words about “reducing taxes” – which overwhelmingly benefit big, out-of-state corporations – and energy policies that force higher costs on ordinary people who have no choice but to drive to work. And policies that force small businesses to raise prices when their shipping costs go up. In fact, in a recent survey of America’s businesses, two-thirds of them expect lower profits this year due to the high cost of fuel.

This year, Republican oil policies are forcing millions of middle class families to cut back on their vacations – further hurting businesses that depend on a healthy tourist season to survive. Tourism is Idaho’s second largest industry. When gas prices surged above the $3.50 mark in Idaho this spring, a chill went through many of Idaho’s home-grown tourism-related businesses. “Outfitters, restaurants and stores that rely on tourism are mostly owned and operated by middle-class Idahoans. Many have put their own personal savings into their business because they believe in Idaho. They could pay the heaviest price of all for Republican oil policies this year,” said Keith Roark, chairman of Idaho’s Democratic Party.

Last month at a congressional hearing, oil company executives squirmed as they tried to defend record profits while at the same time enjoying record tax breaks, according to the Yakima Herald.  According to the newspaper’s editorial on April 9:

“The five companies hauled before the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming -- Exxon Mobil Corp., Shell Oil Co., BP America Inc., Chevron Corp. and ConocoPhillips -- made $123 billion last year. Exxon alone racked up a record $40 billion in profits.”

In February, Democrats in Congress attempted to eliminate $13 billion in tax breaks enjoyed by America’s largest oil companies. The bill also created tax incentives for alternative energy methods used at the commercial and industrial levels. The Bush Administration and Republicans in Congress opposed these long term strategies, preferring instead to let Big Oil come up with its own answers to the crisis.

Frustrated by the lack of long-term solutions from the Bush Administration, local communities all over the country are coming up with solutions to reduce oil consumption. In Idaho, however, Republican legislators blocked all attempts to let local communities develop and invest in their own transportation solutions.

This week, Roark said “Enough is enough. More Idahoans are realizing that they will be paying devastatingly high costs for the Republican’s failure to address our nation’s dependence on oil. People are turning to Democrats because of our long history of defending the middle class and small businesses. Every time they put gas in their car, they will be reminded of that.”

“This another example of the clear difference between who Republicans represent – the special interest big-oil corporations – versus who our Democratic community leaders represent,” Roark said.

“This is yet one more clear difference between Republicans and Democrats when it comes to representing Idaho's middle-class, working families.  When the President and Vice President of our country are both former oil company executives the middle-class doesn't stand a chance against Big Oil.  When our elected representative take big checks from Big Oil working families have no one to represent them.  We need strong voices in Congress speaking on behalf of middle class families and those voices belong to Democratic candidates."