The PA Democrat Climate Cult & their favorite "Republican" Rep. Tom Mehaffie are Waging War against American Energy, Gas Stoves, & Pennsylvanians' Pocketbooks
How Radical PA Democrats and their favorite Republican (In Name Only) Rep. Tom Mehaffie (PA-106) are waging war against American energy, gas stoves and your pocketbook to satisfy the "Green Agenda."
Wasting God’s Gifts
As the 2024 election draws closer, the issue of American energy is among the most urgent and critical issues facing our Commonwealth and country. Undoubtedly, whether we're talking about the cost of heating and cooling our homes or a tank of gas to take the kids to practice, every aspect of our lives and livelihoods revolve around energy. On top of that, it has and will always continue to be the lifeblood of our local, state, and national economies.
Whether or not one cares for the personality of President Trump is irrelevant; we must acknowledge that he had the foresight to realize these truths and take action rather than just paying lip service. From the outset, his administration aimed to remove growth-stifling government red tape and maximize the full potential of America's unique abundance of God-given natural resources. That sound approach made America energy-independent and dominant for the first time in 62 years.
Like magic, we saw how the winning formula of Republican pro-growth energy policies, on top of common sense tax and deregulatory cuts, supercharged our economy and stock market to unprecedented and historic levels. This had a domino effect on every industry and business in all 50 states, spurring record investment, millions of new jobs, while unemployment fell to the lowest rates ever recorded.
Thankfully, a GOP-controlled Pennsylvania House and Senate worked extremely hard to ensure that even with a radical Democrat Governor like Tom Wolf, hardworking Pennsylvanians would also benefit from the Trump administrations pro-growth policies, all encompassing approach on energy and booming economy.
Former Pennsylvania Congressman Fred Keller (PA-12) summed up the Trump Administration's energy policies impact on our economy very well in a 2020 interview.
"America's energy independence made our country more secure, putting more money back in our pockets, and in rural areas - like those across central and northeast Pennsylvania leading to an economic explosion not seen in generations."
Indeed, our future was looking very bright, but sadly much has changed in our state and country since Joe Biden moved into the White House. We are reminded everyday how the horrible economic policies that constitute “Bidenomics” have gutted our economy and energy sector, causing record inflation, supply chain shortages, and skyrocketing costs for our daily necessities, from the gas pump to the grocery store.
It's clear now that for the hypocritical private-jet-setting Democrat donor class, energy independence, dominance, and across-the-board prosperity, as we had under President Trump, was incompatible with their business model. Instead, they prefer a trajectory that entails wasting and ultimately outlawing our God-given resources like American oil, natural gas, shale, and clean coal. However, not because of some noble and moral crusade to save the planet, which is a fictitious cover they hide behind and instruct crooked career politicians like Biden to bottle and sell for naive American consumers.
Their real goal is to make us 100% reliant on foreign energy from other countries like Red China, where most of these far-left special interests have a substantial financial stake. That is the driving purpose behind both "Bidenomics," and the "Green New Deal" agenda, which have now become the modern platform for the Democrat Party at all levels of government, from the White House down to the county level in all 50 states, and the Keystone State is no exception.
That said, Pennsylvanians have a right to know that our Governor, Josh Shapiro, his fellow Democrats in Harrisburg, and their favorite Republican (In Name Only), Rep. Tom Mehaffie, are all owned by the same left-wing special interests who give them huge sums of money to ensure their re-election, so long as they do what their told and shove "Bidenomics" and the radical climate change agenda down as many of our throats as possible, whether we like it or not.
Remember that nothing matters more to these people than retaining their power and privilege. They have no problem waging war against affordable and abundant American energy, by wasting the resources God gave us and coercing young Americans into supporting so-called "green" energy policies that will ultimately regulate and tax them out of existence while making energy unaffordable. Because in the end, we, the people, not them, will be the ones paying for it. That is why it's incumbent upon those who see the writing on the wall to speak up and expose these corrupt, self-interested political hacks.
Every young and impressionable Pennsylvania voter who buys into their lies and falsehoods is one too many, as it will ultimately cause an unnecessary and avoidable generational energy crisis which will deny them the freedom to build the future they both desire and rightly deserve.
A Manufactured Generational Energy Crisis
In 2022, Josh Shapiro ran for governor as a self-described "moderate," sold to Republican and independent voters as a candidate who believed in school choice and economic growth. Sadly, for all those who took the bait, he has proven to be no different than any other double-talking career politician. It was never a secret, as one only has to take a quick look at his most recent campaign donations to discern that he is 100% owned by the same far-left special interests who control the radical fringe elements of his party. Like a good dog, Shapiro will do what his masters tell him.
A perfect example occurred just a few months ago when he caved to the radical teacher's union and radical progressives in Harrisburg by line-item vetoing critical school choice priorities from the PA state budget he initially told voters he supported.
Unsurprisingly, Shapiro looks like he will be flip-flopping again, but this time concerning his stance on Pennsylvania energy production and security, exemplified in his changing perspective on PA's entrance into the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, which his predecessor, Governor Wolf, enrolled Pennsylvania through an executive order before leaving office.
According to the Commonwealth Foundation: RGGI is a compact agreement designed to tax electricity producers for emitting carbon, which will have devastating consequences for individual Pennsylvanians, the environment, and the economy.
In other words, RGGI is the Northeast American version of the horrendous Paris Climate Accords that President Trump was right to remove the United States from during his time in the oval office.
Perhaps that is why Josh Shapiro initially "showed skepticism" about RGGI's feasibility on the campaign trail, as Michael Graham points out in a recent article for Delaware Journal.
According to the campaign trail version of Governor Josh Shapiro:
"We need to take real action to address climate change, protect and create energy jobs, and ensure Pennsylvania has reliable, affordable, and clean power for the long term."
Further, Shapiro declares: "As governor, I will implement an energy strategy which passes that test, and it's not clear to me that RGGI does."
As Graham points out; Shapiro’s “willingness” to to resist pressure from his party’s progressive base on RGGI sent a message to moderate voters that he was more centrist, not part of his party’s fringe.
However, now, all of that goes down the drain with evidence of Shapiro going back on his promises to embrace RGGI.
"Tucked inside the nearly 1,000 pages of Shapiro's executive budget proposal is an indication the state will likely embrace the controversial Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) as part of the governor's "environmental protection and management" goals."
That said, it’s highly likely that Governor Shapiro will cave to the radical left-wing special interests and lobbyists who own him and join his fellow Democrats in the PA House in support of the horrible Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.
Another example of Shapiro’s misguided approach to energy along with the power grid was highlighted in a recent Real Clear Energy article by Commonwealth Foundation Senior Fellow, Gordon Tomb, who reacted to Shapiro’s recent letter to regional power grid operators regarding how he planned to enhance the electricity systems dependability.
These were the ideas Shapiro responded with in a letter to the management of PJM Interconnection:
According to Governor Josh Shapiro:
“Here in the Commonwealth, we are embracing the advantages that cheaper low carbon fuel sources offer.”
Obviously, the approach to “reliable electricity” that Shapiro is referring to indicates his plan is to move in the direction of wind and solar power, the same as nearly all of his fellow Democrats over the past several years.
However, what they are not taking into account is that these plants are not cheaper than fossil fuels. Additionally, they are also proven to be less reliable, as observed in states like California and countries like Europe with routine power outages and soaring energy costs.
“Pennsylvanians have so far, avoided the worst of this because wind and solar still account for only a small amount of PJM’s power supply-low single digit percentages.”
Further, he explains that this will change if Shapiro gets his way.
Since wind and solar account for such a low number of our power supply at present, it’s likely the Democrats are banking on using foreign energy. Ironically enough, Communist China dominates the world in owning the rare earth minerals needed for producing all these alternative "green" energies, from lithium batteries for electric cars to wind and solar power.
According to researchers, "Red China refines 60% of the world's lithium, controls 77% of global battery cell capacity, and 60% of the world's battery component manufacturing." Further, based on their current economic expansion plans, China will be responsible for 95% of the entire manufacturing process for solar panels by 2025.
To make matters worse, China imports almost 90% of its cobalt from the Republic of Congo, producing minerals through informal mines that employ children. China uses about 50 to 80% of its cobalt imports to make battery chemicals and components, which is justification enough for including all Chinese batteries among the items produced with child Labor.
With all that in mind, the so-called "green" movement seems less about the environment, and more about propping up Communist China and the continued cronyism of vile liberal elitists who pay big money to peddle fear and propaganda campaigns to scare people into voting willingly against their own best interests.
That way, in the end, our state and country will have zero energy production, security, and independence, making us 100% reliant on the same solar panels and lithium batteries produced by child labor in China and sold by the same Chinese companies with whom the far-left American donor class are more than happy to accommodate.
Instead of providing their constituents with all the necessary tools to live productive lives, Governor Shapiro and his fellow Democrats are pushing "Bidenomics" and the "Climate Change Agenda" for the benefit of an authoritarian government and to appease the far-left organizations and lobbyists who stand to profit in a big way off the controlled and managed decline of America and Pennsylvania's energy sector.
Undoubtedly, their greed and self-interest will ultimately cause an unnecessary generational energy crisis and give young Americans a future devoid of the jobs and opportunities they would have with access to affordable and reliable energy. However, Shapiro and the Democrats aren't the only ones in Harrisburg waging war against our children's future.
They rely a lot on their favorite Republican, (In Name Only) Rep. Tom Mehaffie of PA-106, who is not only in lockstep with them on this issue but also did everything in his power to betray his GOP colleagues, and constituents, by voting a Democrat for Speaker of the House and handing the Democrats the House majority earlier this year.
Harrisburg’s Biggest RINO: Climate Cult Groupie, Rep. Tom Mehaffie (PA-106)
Even in today’s wacky political climate, it’s clear that Rep. Mehaffie’s legislative record in Harrisburg is the exact opposite of what any conservative minded Republican would deem as acceptable. Though, he could have made a strong case for Democrat of the year had he been elected on the other side of the aisle. My State Representative fits right in with his Democrat colleagues on the far-left already.
For example, in March, Rep. Mehaffie celebrated “World Energy Efficiency Day” 2023 by authoring a Penn Live OP-ED with Democrat State Representative Jennifer O’Mara (Delaware County) Democrat State Senator Lindsey Williams (Allegheny County) and Flora Cardoni, Field Director at PennEnvironment, to announce the introduction of their legislation supporting energy efficiency standards for home appliances in the Pennsylvania.
If you’re wondering why this particular legislation sounds like a woke leftist scheme to ban your gas-stove then you are correct. But what is PennEnvironment?
Interestingly, some Pennsylvanians might remember that PennEnvironment once praised former Pennsylvania Governor, Tom Wolf (D) for announcing the largest push for solar power in Pennsylvania history, providing almost 50 percent of the electricity in a slate of counties across the commonwealth.
In reality, PennEnvironment is just one tentacle in a large web of woke organizations that have the intention of forever changing our state and country as we know it.
According to Capitol Research:
“PennEnvironment and PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center form a 501(c)(4) and 501(c)(3) pair of local affiliates for a massive, multi-million-dollar activist nexus in Washington, DC: the Public Interest Network.”
Over 100 left-wing nonprofits and for profit companies make up the Public Interest Network which specializes in forming “grassroots” campaigns in which poorly paid activists fundraise for groups like Planned Parenthood and the Southern Poverty Law Center. Its labor practices have earned it a reputation on the Left as a “liberal sweatshop.”
Evidently, Environment America is the puppet master of PennEnvironment and PennEnvironment Research and Policy Center and controls similar paired affiliates across the country acting as branches of the master group which advocates for a host of left-wing environmental policies, including 100 percent renewable energy, banning fracking and offshore drilling and halting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.
All Republican voters in Pennsylvania need to know is that GOP State Rep. Tom Mehaffie is co-sponsering radical “progressive” legislation with Democrats that is backed by insidious “woke” far-left organizations.
Mind you, these are the same organizations pushing and funding Joe Biden’s energy killing agenda that has made gas prices unaffordable and devastated our state and country. All in the name of the grift that keeps on grifting, CLIMATE CHANGE.
Speaking of Climate Change, it should be noted that Mehffie seems to be very comfortable with raising the prices of energy for hardworking Pennsylvanians in the name of the Climate Cult’s valiant crusade.
That’s why he fully supported former Democrat Gov. Wolf’s unconstitutional energy tax (Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative) the Northeastern equivalent to the Paris Climate Accord which will cost taxpayers $700M a year.
Like Governor Shapiro, Tom Mehaffie fools voters by claiming to be a "Moderate," which may have helped him sleep better at night after spending each day of his entire tenure in office betraying his GOP colleagues and constituents. But his actions over the last year indicate that he is no longer trying to hide where his true loyalty lies.
In reality, Mr. Mehaffie is well aware that his record on this issue, and many others, proves he is in lockstep with the climate cult and their assault on gas stoves and affordable Pennsylvania energy. He also very likely knows that his constituents and GOP voters across our Commonwealth are waking up to the fact that he is 100% OWNED by the same extreme left-wing organizations and lobbyists as our self-described "Moderate" Governor. However, it’s abundantly clear now that Mehaffie and the Democrats don't care about their constituents or our future.
Sadly, the allure of power and privilege drove each of these individuals to sell themselves out in the first place. Therefore, to keep it, they will do and say anything their masters instruct them, even if that means destroying their constituents' futures with "Bidenomics" and the "Green Agenda" when they are already struggling to get by in this horrible economy.
These repugnant career politicians and their illicit behavior symbolize a dark and bygone era of American politics in which greed and self-service triumphed over the people's will and the kind of public service we rightly deserve from our elected officials. Thankfully, more people recognize this daily and know it's time for us to turn the page on it forever and reclaim our future.
The Solution: DRILL, BABY DRILL!
Ultimately, the issues of energy security and alleviating high costs for utility bills will be a significant factors in deciding the outcome of the 2024 election cycle. That is especially true here in the Keystone State, as indicated in a new statewide poll from the Commonwealth Foundation showing a bi-partisan majority of 59% of voters see rising energy costs as the most urgent issue for hardworking taxpayers and their families.
Clearly, taxpayers in both parties expect results and realistic, common-sense policies to ensure access to affordable and reliable energy for the remainder of this decade and beyond. Sadly, the radical, proposed "green" policies of Governor Josh Shapiro, his fellow Democrats, and their favorite Republican, Rep. Tom Mehaffie, will not do anything to increase Pennsylvania's energy capabilities, lower taxpayers' utility bills, or make our environment cleaner.
Again, RGGI, for example, which they all support, does the opposite: It makes us reliant on energy from foreign nations like the biggest polluter in the world, Communist China, while increasing existing energy costs by 30%. It also guarantees that reliable energy producers cannot invest in our state or our rare abundance of natural resources and destroys the promise of family-sustaining jobs for individuals who need them.
In short, we cannot rely on so-called "renewables" or any of their "green" authoritarian policies, which will destroy our state economy and ensure that it will not be economically feasible to live in Pennsylvania, especially for Millennials and Zoomers. Nor can we give in to the ridiculous un-American "energy efficiency" regulations that outlaw gas stoves and other affordable and reliable home appliances, forcing us to purchase costly "green" alternatives. Thankfully, all of this is avoidable.
As PA State Senator Scott Hutchinson points out:
"Here in Pennsylvania, we are blessed with an abundance of natural resources that can provide good paying jobs, reduce energy costs for households and businesses, and help improve our nation's economic and national security outlook for generations to come."
Indeed, we already have all the tools needed to address our urgent energy and economic-related issues and ultimately transform our state and country. With a unique abundance of oil, coal, natural gas, and shale, Pennsylvania, in particular, has the potential to become a premier American energy-producing powerhouse.
As President Trump once said, the solution to our problems is "Drill, Baby Drill."
However, to unleash that infinite potential, we need leaders who are committed to opposing the Climate Cult’s so called “Green” energy policies and removing the extreme, prosperity-killing Democrat regulations chaining Pennsylvania’s energy sector down.
That is why, now more than ever, Pennsylvania GOP voters must prioritize retaking the PA House majority in 2024, which also entails replacing "woke" Climate Cult groupies like Rep. Tom Mehaffie, who has repeatedly proven to be both a deadweight and a cancer to the Republican party.
Since he took office in 2016, this RINO's failed record and countless donations from far-left special interests indicate that his goals have always aligned with the Democrats, which is why he supports their "progressive" and "green" policies that wage war against Pennsylvania energy, taxpayers pocketbooks, and our God-given freedoms.
In the final analysis, Mehaffie's GOP colleagues in Harrisburg deserve a loyal ally who, unlike him, is not only a real Republican but will be proud to stand with them in support of common-sense legislation that will ensure Pennsylvania's energy independence and dominance for future generations.
Likewise, Mehaffie's PA-106 constituents deserve a homegrown, fresh-faced, conservative leader who is 100% committed to keeping their utility and fuel costs low, and is more than willing to fight daily to put their interests and Pennsylvania's future FIRST.
Make no mistake, Rep. Tom Mehaffie is a Democrat, and replacing him with a genuine Pennsylvania First Republican is the equivalent of flipping a blue open seat in the PA House to RED.
PA-106 voters will get that chance in the 2024 GOP Primary.
The best is yet to come.