Who blocked this small but useful step to save oil?

I'm used to blaming Republicans first, but in New York State the Democrats may be in the forefront of the march in the wrong direction.

It was there that Democratic members of the State Assembly, who control the chamber, held one final meeting to debate the merits of Mr. Bloomberg’s plan, ultimately conferring — in secret — before Sheldon Silver, the speaker, emerged to announce the outcome. The opposition was so overwhelming, he said, that he would not hold an open vote of the full Assembly, though many Republicans were supportive of Mr. Bloomberg.
“The congestion pricing bill did not have anywhere near a majority of the Democratic conference, and will not be on the floor of the Assembly,” Mr. Silver, who represents the Lower East Side of Manhattan, said after his meeting with fellow Democrats. A spokesman for Mayor Bloomberg quickly denounced the decision as “one of the biggest cop-outs in New York’s history.”