With an Exxon gas station as his backdrop, Lt. Gov. Michael Steele unveiled an “agenda for energy independence” in his campaign for U.S. Senate Tuesday.
The Republican proposed greater funding for alternative energy sources and higher fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks, and called for temporarily suspending both the state and federal gasoline taxes.
The proposals were immediately attacked by the state Democratic Party as more evidence of Steele?s ties to President Bush.
He “said nothing to distinguish himself from Bush and the Senate Republicans Big Oil-centric energy policy,” Chairman Terry Lierman said in a statement e-mailed barely 90 minutes after Steele had stopped speaking.
Gov. Robert Ehrlich had floated the idea of a gas-tax rollback as one of the measures he might take to ease sticker shock from $3-a-gallon gasoline.
“It?s one of many options that the state is considering at this time,” said Ehrlich spokeswoman Shareese DeLeaver.
The governor?s lawyers are currently reviewing whether he has the authority to suspend the tax as an emergency measure.
Steele also proposed:
» Suspending the tariffs on ethanol imports, a form of alcohol made from farm products that can be mixedwith gasoline.
» Doubling the president?s proposed budget for biomass and bio-refinery research and development.
» Creating market and tax incentives for alternative energy sources and fuel technologies since they “offer more potential” than great oil production.
» Renewing and expanding the credits for hybrid vehicles.
» Permanently raising fuel efficiency standards for all vehicles beyond what Bush has proposed.
To counter the call for better gas mileage, the Democrats included a photo of Steele?s “gas-guzzling entourage.” Ehrlich and Steele travel in large SUVs driven by state troopers who are part of their security detail.
A spokesman for Rep. Ben Cardin, the leading Democrat in the Senate race, who also supports his own version of “energy independence,” pointed out that Cardin has consistently supported higher fuel-efficiency standards and has opposed the Bush energy plan as a sop to big oil companies.
Kweisi Mfume, another Democrat running for Senate, said he also supports suspending the federal and state gasoline tax, saving consumers about 50 cents per gallon. He said fuel-efficiency standards should be raised to over 40 miles per gallon for all vehicles.
