Blumenauer steps up as fuel costs soar

The Oregon congressman seeks sensible relief for hard-pressed American commuters

Thursday, July 17, 2008
The Oregonian

There's nothing Congress can do to bring back the $3 gallon of gas, but that doesn't mean the federal government is powerless to help people squeezed by soaring fuel prices.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., understands this. That's why, Wednesday, he introduced a bill with a name as long as a MAX train: the Transportation and Housing Choices for Gas Price Relief Act.

The key word in that title is "relief." The legislation recognizes that financially pinched Americans are turning to public transportation in record numbers, but in too many cities and small towns there's inadequate access to such transit.

Even in places like Portland where transit is abundantly available, it still must be kept affordable. Thus last month Blumenauer backed a bill providing $1.7 billion in grants over two years to help transit agencies such as TriMet pay increased fuel costs and keep fares reasonable for lower-income workers.

Wednesday's new legislation, co-sponsored by Reps. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., would incorporate those grants into a much broader and more ambitious relief program. For example, as gas prices approach $4.50 a gallon, even carpooling has become prohibitively expensive for many commuters, so Blumenauer's bill would provide relief through a carpoolers' tax credit.

The bill would create incentives for companies to allow employees to telecommute. It would also help transit agencies increase commuter choices, assist communities in providing transportation options and increase the availability of affordable housing near public transit.

That housing component is a key part of the bill. In Portland, as elsewhere, gentrification has pushed low-income workers out of neighborhoods with excellent access to public transit. Blumenauer's bill would help these workers with increased transportation assistance to the suburbs and smaller communities where they have relocated.

It's a smart bill. More members of Congress should be seriously discussing such ideas instead of spinning their wheels in a politically motivated debate over more offshore oil drilling.

While it's a long-term debate worth having -- more exploration and drilling might help the nation's future strategic position -- as a route to lower fuel prices it goes nowhere. The expanding global economy has ended the era of cheap fuel in America.

Today, the cheapest gallon of gas is the gallon you don't have to buy. Blumenauer's farsighted bill would help more Americans avoid that painful purchase.