During his major speech last week on energy policy, Al Gore talked about how big special interests like oil and gas -- the source of some $124 million in federal campaign contributions since 2000 -- were influencing our nation's energy policy:

"It's a very serious problem for our democracy. If we keep going back to the same policies that have never ever worked in the past and have served only to produce the highest gasoline prices in history alongside the greatest oil company profits in history, nobody should be surprised if we get the same result over and over again. [Members of] Congress...are being stampeded by lobbyists for special interests that know how to make the system work for them instead of the American people."

He went on, "Many Americans have begun to wonder whether or not we've simply lost our appetite for bold policy solutions. And folks who claim to know how our system works these days have told us we might as well forget about our political system doing anything bold, especially if it is contrary to the wishes of special interests. And I've got to admit, that sure seems to be the way things have been going."

And then, on Meet the Press this weekend (July 20th), he talked about his long-time support for public funding, telling Tom Brokaw that, "We have a very serious set of problems affecting our democracy--the role of big money, the role of lobbyists, the role of special interests."

Photo by Chris Jones

Just how much support do taxpayers give to big oil and gas today? A 2007 report by the Congressional Research Service found nearly $8 billion in direct annual tax subsidies for exploration, refining, and distribution of oil and gas, compared with $4.5 billion for alternative renewable sources (CRS - PDF). Factor in the full costs of direct and indirect taxpayer support for oil companies and you get more than $250 billion a year, according to former CIA director James Woolsey, a backer of Sen. John McCain. Not a bad return on $15 million in annual campaign contributions from big oil and gas.

Photo by Swisscan

Our need for an intelligent national energy policy is urgent. And it's another important reason for us to keep up the fight for public funding. It's high time our government started representing the interests of the American people.