I read the recent guest column by Rep. Tim Walberg with his continual finger pointing at energy independence. Tim enjoys affixing blame with few solutions or admitting his own shortcomings.
Since Tim has now become a career politician, we have his record to look back on. In my first meeting with Tim, he announced that public town halls were all-invited and I addressed him about the massive export of American manufacturing jobs during the Bush administration. At that time he was for unregulated free trade and supported open trade without tariffs. Well, that has changed since he tied himself to Trump.
Now the congressman has been crowing about energy independence, blaming higher energy prices on the current president. We forget Tim’s involvement in regards to where we are now. Tim even admits to doublespeak on his energy independence when he says he’s for LG natural gas exports that raise demand for American-produced energy costing all of us higher utility bills.
Since 2017, Tim has sat on the House Energy Committee and has pushed his support of export natural gas pipelines, such as the Rover and Nexus pipelines in this area. He’s been a big supporter of LG export terminals that feed the increased price of natural gas by increasing world demand for our natural gas.
We used to have a 1975 law called Energy Policy and Conservation Act that prohibited the export of U.S.-produced energy, but it was repealed by Republicans and Tim Walberg in December 2015.
America has now become a resource colony exporting our energy for the highest price while importing finished products from communist countries. We get the refining pollution while the rest of the world enjoys our climate-changing energy. This can be blamed on policies that Walberg has supported.
Tim just recently voted NO on the May 19, 2022, Consumer Fuel Price Gouging Prevention Act that would have relieved his constituents of oil company abuse. Today, oil is at $115.83 a barrel with gas prices at around $5 a gallon. In April 2008, a barrel of oil was $166.50 with gas at $3.51 a gallon. The difference? Oil companies are enjoying record profits at the expense of all of us!
In Alaska, former Gov. Sarah Palin instituted the Alaska Permanent Fund that pays every Alaskan resident an annual income check from energy produced in the state. The payouts range from $2,000 to nearly $4,000 a year for every resident.
Congressman Walberg could have worked on energy independence that would work for a cleaner environment while giving our kids a secure future with real reforms fighting climate change. But, as always happens when career politicians are allowed to step in the excesses of Washington, they become part of the problem.
Here in Michigan, we have a seemingly permanent politician who chairs the Energy Committee, takes money from energy companies and utilities, but offers no relief from catastrophic energy prices. He just blames the other guy!
During Walberg’s reign, we’ve seen his push for more energy to export while our utility bills keep rising and the gas pump is at five bucks. This is what happens when you have a politician who says he doesn’t support democracy but supports a republic form of democracy where he solicits dark money support to manipulate this constituents into believing his Big Lies.
You have to ask yourself: Has my life become better with Congressman Tim Walberg running things for seven terms as a congressman? Congressman Walberg has been a career state and federal politician for over 30 years. Now he wants an eighth term in his new 5th District.
After watching the Jan. 6 hearings and Tim pushing the Big Lie over solving real problems, can we afford another term with politicians like this?
Paul Wohlfarth lives in Riga Township and is retired from Chrysler Motors. He can be reached at wolfmanwon@aol.com.
