The Fox is Guarding the Hen House in Montgomery

Guest Opinion by Commissioner Ron Sparks

In his recent defense of Alabama's watered down fuel inspection system, Rick Pate, the current Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, and Bart Fletcher, the lobbyist for gas stations, told consumers that gas pumps are tested, certified, and carefully monitored. They begged that this issue shouldn’t be politicized, but frankly that’s a hypocritical argument coming from the politician who presides over the system, and from the lobbyist who helped draft the legislation that largely gutted the consumer protections that came with vigorous enforcement and oversight.

By outsourcing inspections and firing the ADAI inspectors, consumers are vulnerable at the time they can least afford it. Literally. Thanks to these policies, we couldn’t inspect all the pumps if we wanted to. Pate and Fletcher repeatedly tell readers that certified technicians inspect pumps and that state regulators oversee the process – but they do not provide hard numbers.

How many pumps fail inspection each year? How many surprise audits are conducted? How many enforcement actions have been taken? How do these numbers compare against past years? Without those facts, consumers are being asked to take the industry's word that everything is working as intended.

The current system provides for inspections to be performed by technicians hired and paid by the very businesses they inspect. Certification is important, but it does not eliminate the appearance of a system in which the regulated often play a significant role in policing themselves. Independent verification builds public confidence. Self-certification, even when regulated, is an honor system.

Fletcher also suggests that consumers can simply report problems if they suspect a pump is inaccurate. That is the very definition of the honor system. Most drivers have no practical way to know whether they were shorted a fraction of a gallon. In fact, the stickers on the pumps that Fletcher heralds give consumers the false impression that they are already being protected. But the purpose of oversight is to detect problems before customers discover them, not after.

The question is not whether most gas station owners are honest. Most probably are. The real question is whether Alabama's inspection system is independent, transparent, and accountable enough to assure consumers they are getting exactly what they pay for. On that question, Pate and Fletcher offer assurances. That is not enough. Consumers deserve evidence.

At the end of the day, you cannot take politics out of politics: gas prices are high because of political decisions, gas stations are now largely unregulated because of politicians and lobbyists, the practices are being defended - not because they are responsible policy, but because they were exposed. 

Alabamians cannot afford to get ripped off.  This debate is about accountability. Consumers have every right to ask for something more than trust. They deserve transparency, independent oversight, and hard evidence that the watchdog is watching. In matters of consumer protection, "trust us" should never be the final answer. 

If Alabama's inspection system is as strong as Pate and Fletcher claim, the evidence should be easy to produce. Until then, consumers have every right to be skeptical of assurances coming from industry insiders, and they are entitled to demand proof that the watchdog is truly watching.

There’s an old saying I heard many times growing up. “It’s the stuck pig that squeals.” It’s hard to hear over all the squealing in Montgomery these days. The politicians and the special interests have someone looking after them. I’m asking you to send me back to the Commissioner’s office so I can look after you.

Ron Sparks is a former two-term Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, serving from 2003 to 2011. A U.S. Coast Guard veteran and longtime public servant, Sparks has also served as Director of the Alabama Rural Development Agency, President of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture and senior adviser to U.S. Sen. Doug Jones. He was the Democratic nominee for Governor in 2010 and is the Democratic nominee for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in 2026. 

For more information on Sparks and his campaign, visit https://sparks2026.com.

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