Letter to the Editor: Shame on Bill

EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.

Rep. Huizenga: Your actions don't match your words

Dear Rep. Huizenga,

Here are three direct quotes that I agree with from your most recent "Huizenga Huddle" newsletter.

However, I need some clarity as to how you are actually living them out in your role as our U.S. House representative.

1. Faith and integrity have an important place in how we serve our neighbors, lead our businesses, and care for our communities. How are you applying faith, integrity and caring for our communities to your vote regarding insider stock trading by Congress, voting to lessen SS, SNAP, Medicare/Medicare benefits, continuing to fund ICE at ridiculously high amounts, which hurts our immigrant neighbors and disrupts families, complicitly supporting Trump by not speaking out and holding him accountable for Epstein files transparency, high tariffs against Canada, the war with Iran and supporting Putin’s objectives over Ukraine, among other things?
2. We need affordable, reliable energy, but we should be working with our communities to get there, not pushing them aside. And where has your support been for the past 17 months when the Campbell coal plant was scheduled to close after an in-depth multi-year plan done at the local level with all local players’ support? In one fell swoop, the plan was stopped by federal-level administration officials and Trump’s false claim that there was an energy emergency that continues. You have pushed us aside by not speaking out against this falsehood.
3. Residents should be able to work through concerns with local officials who know their communities, with confidence that those decisions will matter.

Making life more affordable and lowering energy costs are priorities of mine, and I’ll continue standing with Southwest Michigan communities fighting for more control over their future.

You, as a local official, refuse to meet with residents to discuss our concerns so how can we “work through” anything with confidence that we, or our issues, matter to you? Again, if lowering energy costs is really a priority for you, then why has my Consumers Energy electric bill risen at least 18% over the past 17 months and is projected to rise even more in the coming months as the Campbell’s Coal Plant continues to be allowed to operate? 

“Standing with Southwest Michigan communities”?! Really?! I’m sorry, but your inaction speaks louder than your words.

Jennifer VerHelst 
Holland

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