Another campaign card arrived, blaming Democrats for the cost of electricity in New Hampshire. As a candidate, I listen to people every day. I hear how hard energy costs and inflation are hitting folks, especially those on a fixed income.
Offering up false blame instead of solutions is unconscionable. Many complicated factors spurred inflation in every nation: Putin’s war, supply-chain problems, pandemic recovery, climatic crop shortages, OPEC control of oil and obscene profit-taking by major corporations. Reliable estimates show that 40 percent of current U.S. inflation can be attributed to fatter corporate profits alone.
It’s a small comfort, but our inflation rate is lower than many, including the European Union and United Kingdom. And in New Hampshire, with our exorbitant energy prices, blaming Democrats is a cruel diversion. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has been at the helm for six years, favoring fossil fuels, staffing the PUC with industry insiders and resisting the energy policies and diversified energy development needed to lower costs for all.
Our already excessive New Hampshire home electricity rates went up an average of 40 percent in August. Vermont and Rhode Island experienced a 6 percent rise, while rates in Massachusetts rose only 20 percent. Our neighboring states experienced half the New Hampshire rise because they prepared for the future and simultaneously moved towards cleaner energy generation as they diversified their energy sources.
False blaming is no way to address the real problems facing Granite Staters. We need honest energy strategies offered and supported by candidates who are not beholden to large corporations and who are loyal to our interests first. Let us look past this diversion of blame and demand change in the New Hampshire state House.
Susan Kane
Candidate for state representative Hillsborough District 27, Deering and Francestown