By Donna Westfall – October 31, 2024

Don’t you wish our Congressman Jared Huffman took steps to stop the gas price increase? Well, he just doesn’t seem interested. But Kevin Kiley is.

Let’s talk about inflation. At the National Rifle Association meeting held in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Trump stated that food prices went up 40%, 50%, 60% and more from just a few years ago. That was in February of this year. Every week that I go food shopping, I see prices higher than the week before. I don’t know how most people can afford this type of inflation.

Every time I look at our adjustable rate mortgages, I see the interest rates going up, up and up.

Speaking about Pennsylvania, now voters are complaining they have not gotten their ballots. In four different counties, most of them Republican, hundreds of people complained about not receiving their ballots. Some stood in line for up to four hours. Many called and tied up the phone lines. According to Mia Cathell’s article published today’s date in Townhall.com titled, “What Happened to These PA Voters’ Mail-In Ballots?” 421 were sent to the wrong address while “election hawks” believe it was more in the thousands. Then she went on to state voting advocates found a batch of ballots at the elections office marked “undeliverable.” Sound familiar? Remember all the ballots marked undeliverable to the Harbor in Crescent City when the Fire Tax vote was going on?

The only way I see inflation being reduced, foreign policy reigned in, border crossings slowed down to a trickle and sending many back to their countries of origin, as well as eliminating outside reliance on gasoline is by having Trump back in the White House. I still think Biden should be impeached for treason for the way he left all our military hardware in Afghanistan.

Let’s get back to the gas tax. You’ve heard that California has the highest gas taxes in the nation. Let’s look at the facts. As of August 2024, California’s gas tax is 68.1 cents per gallon. Yes, it’s the highest in the nation. Now our gas taxes are SUPPOSED to fund road repairs and maintenance. I’d like to see a graph by year of how much road repairs and maintenance have been done in and around Del Norte County.

In Kevin Kiley’s email to me on October 29, 2024 he writes:

Last week I joined colleagues in the California House delegation in calling on the California Air Resources Board (CARB) to postpone a November 8 vote to raise gas prices by at least 47 cents per gallon with new regulations. I am strongly opposed to any measure that will increase gas prices for Californians, who already pay the highest prices in the country. Our letter urges the agency to immediately analyze the cost to consumers before imposing massive new costs on California drivers. As your Representative in Washington, I’m working to lower gas prices by promoting American energy through passage of the Lower Energy Costs Act, which advances American energy independence by reforming the permitting process and removing barriers to all forms of domestic energy production.

I’d like to point out some highlights in his three page letter to CARB Chair, Liane Randolph:

They asked for a delay of CARB’s hearing scheduled for November 8th with requests for them to analyze the cost to consumers of their proposed amendments through updated regulatory impact analysis. This request was made so that the public could process undue costs on their bottom line and make public comments.

Going on they write that more stringent carbon intensity standards would create a hidden 47 cent per gallon fee on California drivers in 2025. I don’t understand this “hidden” fee.

And this paragraph pretty much sums it up:

“Allowing these amendments to move forward – especially absent basic economic impact analysis – will result in an added economic burden on Californians when they are already struggling with elevated energy, food, and housing costs. Now, more than ever, is not the time for leaders in Sacramento to hide the costs of their misguided environmental agenda.”

Of the 12 congressmen that signed the letter to CARB, Jared Huffman’s signature was nowhere to be found. Is he even concerned about rising energy, food and housing costs?