Congressman Peter DeFazio says the Wall Street credit crisis is another result of too much deregulation of parts of the American economy.

From airlines and energy to food safety, toys, railroads and the financial markets, he says, the idea that we can rely on self-regulation alone “has gone way too far.”

DeFazio, D-4th District, visited Albany on Tuesday. He spoke to the Albany Rotary Club, visited the Calapooia Brewery, answered questions at the Democrat-Herald and met with people at the Mennonite Village.

He has been in Congress for 20 years, and for the first time in years is running for re-election without a Republican having filed against him.

DeFazio said the trend to deregulate much of the American economy started under President Carter with natural gas.

More recently, in his view, Republicans and President Bush have carried the idea further.

“Hopefully we now see the end of that era,” he said.

As chairman of the highways and transit subcommittee in the House, DeFazio will lead the writing of the next federal highway bill, which he expects Congress to enact in October 2009.

It will seek to increase investment in highways while also making the federal funding system simpler.

To raise more money for roads he hopes Congress will increase the federal gas tax or at least index the tax for inflation.

He said he may look at bonding for highway projects, and he’ll also favor private capital “in a regulated way.”

He’s against the idea of putting tolls on existing public roads or giving private contractors carte blanche to build roads and then charge whatever they want.

As a model for what might be done, particularly on big projects, DeFazio has been mightily impressed by the Millau Viaduct, the world’s tallest highway bridge, in the Central Massif of southern France.

The viaduct was completed in 2004 on a main road between Paris and Barcelona in order to prevent summertime traffic jams.

The six-lane toll bridge took three years and $700 million to build, DeFazio said, far less than he’s been told a new crossing of the Columbia River would cost.

He’s called the Millau project to the attention of Portland and ODOT officials talking about a new interstate bridge.