By Tony Massaro

In its June 28 editorial, the Rocky Mountain News expressed a shocking lack of faith in the voters of Colorado ("Buying into the Big Oil smear"). While the television ad from the League of Conservation Voters lays out facts and trusts voters to make their own decisions, the Rocky seems to believe that voters cannot be trusted to look at the evidence and draw their own conclusions.

While we disagree on the abilities of Colorado voters, on two points, we do agree: Colorado's No.1 concern is America's energy policy and the voters deserve a real debate on energy issues. That debate will and should examine the history of the two candidates, because a person's background informs that person's future decisions.

George Bush and Dick Cheney were oil men, and the Bush energy policy has served the interests of the oil industry. Seven years of those policies have resulted in more oil subsidies, less renewable energy and $4 per gallon at the pump.

Bob Schaffer is another oil man. Before this race began, Schaffer worked as an oil executive. He has accepted more than $150,000 from oil and gas interests and voted to give more than $13 billion in tax breaks and subsidies to the oil industry.

In Congress, Schaffer earned an environmental score of only 5 percent from our organization. Only one time in 20 did he vote for clean air and water, renewable energy or fuel efficiency. In Congress, Mark Udall has voted in favor of conservation and renewable energy 99 percent of the time. A lifelong conservationist, Udall served as the co-chair of the House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus.

Given those facts, is it any wonder that Colorado voters prefer Mark Udall to represent the state and to make the right choices on energy?

Originally published by Tony Massaro.

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