February 25, 2008
Congressional
Candidate Tracey Brooks Praises New York's Plan to Increase Use of
Renewable Energy Resources In Wake of Escalating Oil, Gas and Home
Heating Prices Tracey Brooks, Congressional candidate in the Capital
Region’s 21st District, today praised New York’s just announced plan to support
increased use of renewable energy resources as an important step in addressing
out-of-control oil, gas and home heating prices.
“I commend Lt. Gov. David Paterson and the Spitzer
Administration’s Renewable Energy Task Force for taking a leading role in New York as we address
the economic and environmental impacts of seemingly endless rises in costs and
consumption of oil, gas and home heating fuel,” said Brooks. “Now it’s time to
take on the big corporate interests in Washington
and finally get real about dealing with our enormous energy issues.” Brooks continued: “When we see $100 a barrel oil prices,
record increases in gas and home heating costs here in the Capital Region,
combined with record oil company profits, we’re seeing another fleecing of America that’s impacting our upstate New York economy.”
Recent local news reports have pegged the average gas price
in the Capital Region at over $3.30 per gallon, nearly 20 cents above the
national average. Those averages are up over 15 cents per gallon since last
week alone. In January 2001, the average price of gasoline in New York was $1.43, a 94 percent increase in
only seven years when adjusted for inflation. At the same time, home heating
costs have risen by 22.7 percent in the past year alone.
“Our families, small businesses and manufacturing companies
in the Capital Region cannot take another four weeks of these exorbitant price
increases, let alone another four years,” said Brooks. “Just today, former
Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan commented that the U.S. economy is
at zero growth and may take even longer than expected to recover. We can start
that recovery sooner by voting for change in November.” As a lifelong resident of the Albany area and the Capitol Regional Director
for Senator Hillary Clinton for the last three years, Brooks enters the race
with working knowledge of the problems facing the region and experience in
finding solutions to them. Brooks has spent much of her time since announcing
her candidacy visiting farmers, seniors, small business owners, manufacturing
companies, technology learning centers and families across all seven counties
of the District talking about the issues that really matter to people.
“I’m focused on the serious issues like successfully ending
the war in Iraq,
passing meaningful legislation that will bring more jobs, more renewable energy
resources, better security, broader health care coverage and a better quality
of life for all the people of the Capital Region.” To learn more about Tracey Brooks, please visit www.traceybrooks.com. |
