We in Staunton have a choice to make. It is up to us. Shall we choose solar energy ? Twenty one years ago, I was adopted into the Shenandoah family, Wolf Clan, Oneida Nation of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (People of the Long House). White people call them Iroquois. We are taught to listen to our elders, learn to respect and act responsibly. Oren Lyons, 93, Wolf Clan, is an Onondaga Chief, and world leader of peace who teaches — The Earth is our Mother. She gives everything we need for life. Imagine a living pine tree clinging to a cliff; getting all it needs for life from the earth. We are like that pine tree. Our Mother Earth provides, but time is running out. We have little time to make changes in order to survive. The economy of nations will be broken by natural disasters. We see more disasters every year: hurricanes, snow melt, coastlines washing into the seas, wild fires, drought, flooding, on and on. The haze today brings this reality to Staunton, VA. We must fol
Are you a senior citizen on Medicare ? Would you like to pay less for your prescription drugs ?
Do you own your own small business? Would you like to pay less for health insurance for you and your family ?
Thinking about buying an electric vehicle, but put off by the cost ? Would you like to receive an offset from the federal government so you ultimately pay less for it ?
Concerned about the federal deficit ? Wouldn’t it be nice if the fat cats paid their fair share of taxes, instead of enriching themselves via loopholes (yes, I’m pointing at you, Governor Youngkin), so the deficit could be reduced, and not on the backs of middle-class Americans ?
Do you enjoy the benefits of easy local access to Shenandoah National Park, and want to see it with cleaner air and water, and upgrades to its infrastructure ?
Would you like to see a million or more new jobs created so the country can transition to clean energy sources, so you pay less for transportation and heating and cooling your home ?
I suspect most of my fellow citizens in the Augusta County region would enthusiastically answer “yes” to most, if not all, of these questions. Then, I ask you, why would you believe Ben Cline has your interests at heart, when he voted “no” on the Inflation Reduction Act, which will provide you with all of these benefits and more ?
Steve Maxwell
Staunton, VA
Great letter, Steve! Have you submitted it to a newspaper?
ReplyDeleteDeborah Sullivan