Congressman Chris Stewart visited the Panguitch on the evening of August 16 at the county courthouse where we were pleased to have him here face-to-face. About 25 people were in attendance at the town hall meeting.
Congressmen are a part of the Legislative Branch of the federal government. Congress is composed of the House of Representatives and the Senate. The primary responsibility of Congress itself is to legislate new law.
Representative Stewart started by discussing some current events in American politics including the Mar-a-Lago raid and the stifling gasoline prices linked with inflation, as well as the importance of healthcare in Rural Utah.
Then the conversation moved on to local questions on the topics of public lands, how to serve in our community by being a part of the school board or running for public office, and how to “stay with it” despite feeling like we are “beating our heads against a wall.”
Sheriff Perkins mentioned that methamphetamine trafficking has been higher in the past eighteen months than it has been in previous years. The Hope Squad commissioner made a few comments on the importance of having the number hotline stay open and ready for anyone who needs it. A couple veterans voiced their frustrations in dealing with VA health benefits, which are administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
One of the last questions was from Marc Henrie, who works locally in the banking industry, on the topic of ESG, which stands for Environmental, Social and Governance. Rep. Steart expressed his issues with the concept, stating that it could become an extreme form of control under the arms of dictatorial governments.
Here in the United States, ESG, as a scoring system, is imposed by powerful elites in finance and private equity who demand, as shareholders of banks, that banks only issue loans to companies deemed to be virtuous. Companies in the much-maligned oil and gas industry receive low ESG scores which may prevent them from obtaining financing. Some bankers in the Uinta Basin, which has a large fossil fuel market, have already seen ESG criteria creep into their loan underwriting.
Overall it was good to see the views of Rep. Chris Stewart and good to know a bit more about him. I would encourage people to watch for things like this and attend town hall meetings, even if it’s just to listen.
– by Ella Hughes (18) Panguitch
Feature image caption: Congressman Chris Stewart came to Panguitch on August 16.
Read more from Ella in TARs Washington, D.C. Trip.
Ella Hughes – Panguitch
Ella Hughes is a junior journalist and editor at The Byway. She has recently graduated from Panguitch High School and has written for The Byway for two years now. Her favorite topics to write about are history as well as present-day local events. In her free time she enjoys singing, watching movies, reading books, and spending time with her family she adores.
Ella is currently serving a full-time mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She is serving in the Philippines Tacloban Mission.