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CO-Sen: Udall calling ‘em as he sees ‘em |
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Colorado’s Democratic candidate for Senate Mark Udall is smelling of roses after coming out against the obviously flawed “gas tax holiday” proposed by the faded star that is Hillary Clinton.
Senator Clinton claimed yesterday that I either stand with her on this proposal or stand with the oil companies. To that I say: I stand with the families of Colorado, who aren’t looking for bumper sticker fixes that don’t fix anything, but for meaningful change that brings real relief and a new direction for our energy policy.
David Sirota, posting at the Denver Post’s Politics West, explains the importance of the stance:
Understand that Colorado is a major oil and gas state, with a politically aggressive energy industry. So here we have one of the state’s highest-profile politicians running for higher office, and taking courageous step to confront a major politician of his own party (and, by extension, her donors) and to challenge one of the most ruthless industries in his state.
But Udall is going beyond mere criticism; he’s proposing his own plan for relieving the toll taken at the pump:
Immediately, we ought to cease filling the strategic petroleum reserve and redirect that oil onto the market. We’ve done it in the past under the leadership of President Clinton and this President Bush and we saw almost an immediate drop in price from somewhere in the range of .15 to .25 cents per gallon.
Ideally, we’d be dealing with exorbitant gas prices by using less of it — changing stagnant and cancerous habits — but in lieu of that, Udall is recommending we push renewable energies, and stop subsidizing oil and gas with tax credits:
Those subsidies I’d like to see directed into renewable fuels; wind power and solar power and all the opportunities we have in Colorado.
Compared to his opponent, oil company pawn and sweatshop enthusiast Bob Schaffer, Udall is the prince of princes. Let’s hope Colorado voters are seeing it the same way.
