 WASHINGTON
By Avery Palmer, CQ Staff08/08/08  Congressional Quarterly Report: Black Conservatives Push for Expanded Energy Production The launch of a new commission designed to engage African Americans on climate change has sparked a backlash from black conservatives. Niger Innis, co-chairman of the Alliance to Stop the War on the Poor, described the commission as "patronizing and insulting," calling it "a sham effort by environmental extremists" that would raise energy costs for black Americans. The alliance - launched last month at a Capitol Hill rally with several Republican members of Congress in attendance - describes itself as a coalition of African American, civil rights, and faith-based leaders pushing for more domestic energy production in an effort to bring down energy prices. It is on the web at http://www.stopwaronpoor.org Critics say the group is too focused on business interests. David Bositis, senior political analyst at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, a think tank that focuses on African American issues, dismissed the alliance as "a fringe group." He said energy and climate change policies can be crafted to ameliorate the impact on poor people. The center last week announced the creation of a commission designed to engage African Americans on climate change and assess how global warming will impact black communities. Members of the commission include environmentalists, scientists and advocates of environmental justice for minority groups. But Innis said environmentalists are so concerned about "theoretical harm that could be caused by catastrophic climate change" that they ignore the immediate harm from gasoline and heating costs. The alliance says it is a collaborative effort of the Congress of Racial Equality, the High Impact Leadership Coalition and Americans for American Energy, a group aimed at boosting American energy independence. The alliance favors the main elements of the GOP energy agenda, including increased oil and gas production off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, drilling in the Arctic and development of oil shale resources in the West. The leaders of the coalition have been actively engaged in conservative causes. Innis worked on the presidential campaign of Republican Alan Keyes in 2000. His father, Roy Innis, chairman of CORE and a long-time civil rights leader, has voiced conservative views for decades and serves on the board of the Hudson Institute. Also part of the alliance is Bishop Harry Jackson Jr., chair of the High Impact Leadership Coalition. Jackson, who holds conservative views on abortion and same-sex marriage, urged African Americans to support President Bush in the 2004 election. He recently co-authored a book with Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council, that included a discussion of energy policy. "There's been an all-or-nothing-at-all view by those on the green side," Jackson said. "What I haven't bought into is this almost dictatorial concept that you must do it my way." Americans for American Energy, meanwhile, is led by members of state legislatures in Wyoming, Colorado and Utah. The group's president is Greg Schnacke, a former executive vice president for the Colorado Oil and Gas Association. Bositis said a recent survey he conducted found that a majority of African Americans believe the benefits of dealing with global warming will outweigh the costs. He stressed that lawmakers can seek to set policies that minimize the negative impact on the poor. In June, for example, the Senate debated, but did not pass, climate change legislation (S 3036) that would have auctioned greenhouse gas allowances to industry and used some of the proceeds for tax rebates and energy efficiency programs. The new alliance, meanwhile, is working to bring more members of Congress over to its side. Niger Innis said the group will be "actively pursuing" House and Senate Democrats after this year's election. And in a recent speech to the Resources Development Council for Alaska, Roy Innis said "the civil rights challenge of our time" is to stop policies that drive up the cost of energy for low-income Americans. "They know that price pain makes folks turn down their thermostat and drive their car less," Innis said. "They call this 'energy conservation.' I call it economic enslavement." |
Coming Soon! Ron is available to speak at your next convention or seminar. Call 425-455-5038 Latest Report Releases:
Latest Book Releases:
|
|||||||||
