As drivers fumed at $3-a-gallon gas prices and BGE customers tried to figure out which plan for higher electric rates they shouldbe socked with, political candidates this week scrambled to show they were doing something — anything — about high energy costs.
Lt. Gov. Michael Steele, R, running for U.S. Senate, called on the federal government to temporarily suspend its 18.4-cents-per-gallon gas tax.
“Maryland families simply cannot afford to pay $3 or more per gallon to drive to work or take their children to school,” Steele said.
Rep. Ben Cardin, a Democratic Senate candidate called on President Bush to strengthen anti-gouging laws and empower state attorneys general to enforce existing laws, as Gov. Robert Ehrlich requested Attorney General Joseph Curran to do on Wednesday.
Former Rep. Kweisi Mfume told The Examiner that President Bush should pressure oil-producing countries to give the United States a discount because of all the security and business the U.S. provides them.
Republican Party Chairman John Kane attacked both Cardin and Mfume for votes to raise gasoline taxes, which are used to pay for highway and transit projects.
Democratic Senate candidate Josh Rales issued a 23-page energy plan that included conservation, incentives for alternative fuels, mass transit and other measures.
On the BGE rate hikes, Montgomery County Executive Doug Duncan, running for governor, renewed his call for a special session of the legislature to pass “real rate relief instead of just spreading the pain.”
Duncan, Mayor Martin O’Malley and Democratic Party Chairman Terry Lierman all heaped abuse on Ehrlich for the deal the governor made with BGE to reduce rates temporarily to 19 percent, while adding a surcharge later to finance the deal. An O’Malley spokesman called it the “Ehrlich Energy Tax” and a party worker handed out “BGEhrlich” bumper stickers.
“From my perspective, we’ve got to have” a special session, said Sen. Paula Hollinger, D-Baltimore County, running for Congress.
Many legislators apparently agree, but there is no agreement about what they should do.
“They couldn’t get the job done” during the regular session, said Ehrlich aide Paul Schurick. “There’s no reason they can get the job done now.”
