Happy Energy Week to Big Oil from Mark Green

It's Energy Week in the House of Representatives, declared by Rep. Mark Green and the Republican leadership.

The Forward Report notes that:

It has been advertised as an opportunity to focus on the skyrocketing cost of gas and America’s dependence on foreign oil. It is actually being used in part to promote policies that would enrich the oil industry and damage the environment, while doing very little to help consumers or resolve our long-term energy problems.

This seems like an appropriate time to review Mark Green's contributions to holding down oil and gas prices and protecting consumers.

Let's put Green's approach into some perspective. He's postured, as a candidate for governor, as someone who wants to lower the gas tax.

But Wisconsin roadbuilders know better. Here's a report from the Transportation Development Assn., a statewide group dominated by roadbuilders, after a "Drive-In" meeting at the Madison Club:

Views from Green Campaign
After the Road to the Future Committee presentation, Mark Graul, manager of the gubernatorial campaign of U.S. Rep. Mark Green, addressed the group. Introducing a message Congressman Green taped for the Drive-in, Graul told attendees that transportation is an issue of key importance to Green.

In his video message, Green told Drive-in participants that as governor he would restore the integrity of the state’s transportation funding. He noted that the federal transportation reauthorization bill he supported had ended up “good for Wisconsin.” Giving credit to the leadership of Wisconsin Congressman Tom Petri, Green cited as “historic” the $1.06 return on Wisconsin federal highway dollar achieved under the SAFETEA-LU reauthorization.

Green said that any constitutional amendment he would sign to protect transportation revenues would need to “permanently firewall” the Transportation Fund. He said he is committed to an “intermodal transportation system.”

He noted that as a member of the state Assembly, he “did vote for a gas tax increase.” “I was there for you, ...” said Green, “and I will be in the future.”

"I was there for you, and I will be in the future," Green tells this special interest group. Interestingly, he doesn't says that he supported tax increases for transportation improvements; he supported gas tax increases for the roadbuilders, and he'll do it again.

That's not what you'd expect to hear from someone looking out for consumers -- but no one has ever accused Mark Green of being a consumer advocate.

Green has voted repeatedly in the House against bills to crack down on gasoline price-gouging.

Green backed the Bush energy bill that gave $8-billion in tax breaks to Big Oil, and voted against rolling them back even with gas at $3 a gallon and Big Oil making record profits.

And Big Oil has rewarded him with more than $40,000 in campaign contributions.

Happy Energy Week, everyone, from Mark Green.