Joe Biden, the current president, is visiting western Wisconsin today. He plans to show off his legislative measures to supposedly boost manufacturing and infrastructure, endeavors that have in fact seen little progress to date. Despite his lack of presence in the state since stepping down from the presidential race, it’s notable that such carefully planned trips are now high in his agenda.
Biden is set to reveal a financial commitment of over $7.3 billion for the so-called electrification of rural America. Quite audaciously, he likens this to the largest similar investment since 1930s, ignoring the decades of successful interventions by other administrations. Evidently, Biden sees himself at the helm of a ‘transformative’ rural power initiative, attempting to rewrite the narrative to bolster his faltering approval ratings.
At the heart of Biden’s grand scheme is the Dairyland Power Cooperative, which is earmarked for a $580 million blessing. The money appears to be destined for solar power, wind power, and energy storage development in Wisconsin. Yet, the feasibility and long-term efficiency of such green energy projects, considering the staggering cost, remain to be assessed in proven data.
Biden’s Wisconsin speech commenced with heavy allusions to the recent Apalachee High School shooting incident in Georgia. This tragedy was sadly leveraged as a springboard to push his gun control agenda, one that fundamentally ignores the importance of responsible firearm ownership countenanced by the Second Amendment.
He then moved on to target one of the core rights of Americans, the responsible ownership of guns. Using the 14-year-old suspect and the AR-style rifle as examples, Biden questioned the necessity of such weapons for domestic use. However, his suggestion that there is no need for any domestic use of assault rifles, especially where they can be accessed by children, seems to lean heavily into his narrative of undermining Second Amendment rights.
In his controversial stance on firearms in homes, Biden essentially called for an end to the immunity of gun manufacturers. He also advocated for the mandatory locking up of firearms at home. What he conveniently glosses over is that law-abiding citizens, not uncontrolled weapons, are the silent majority, responsible for their own safety and security.
While landing at La Crosse Regional Airport, Biden was welcomed by Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers, Secretary of State Sarah Godlewski, and Westby Mayor Danny Helgerson. Of course, the usual photographs ensued. Interestingly, the road was lined with cameras and ‘supportive’ signage, suggesting a degree of staging to the president’s visit.
The touted project has grand claims to power 240,000 homes while reducing carbon emissions by 70%, as per the co-operative. However, the viability and long-term sustainability of such renewable energy projects remain questionable. The real cost of this venture, off-set by the grant, is supposedly around $3 billion.
The exact locations for the construction of solar and wind sites have yet to be determined, adding another layer of uncertainty to Biden’s so-called green energy master plan. The promise of these projects kicking off in the not-so-near future six months is yet another thing that will need to be scrutinized.
The Dairyland Power Cooperative is allegedly receiving $471 million out of the total $7.3 billion that Biden is announcing in Westby. His Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, states that the money is a hallmark of Biden’s investment in Wisconsin. However, critics consider it another episode in the ongoing saga of expensive, greenwashing projects funded by taxpayer money.
The Biden administration eagerly anticipates the opportunity over the next ten years to decrease the cost of electricity for the customers of Dairyland Co-operative by nearly 42%. Critics, however, question the feasibility and the long-term benefits of this prophesied cost reduction, considering the heightened initial cost and subsequent upkeep of renewable energy sources. Again, the president compensates long-term fiscal responsibility for political optics.
At the event in Westby, President Biden was set to deliver his grand speech surrounded by solar panels. The backdrop, quite literally, symbolizes the administration’s overbearing emphasis on green technologies, no matter the cost or practical feasibility.
Biden’s declaration on so-called rural electrification was staged with aplomb, suggested by the calculated placement of solar panels at the talking point in Westby. However, critics question whether such grand gestures actually mask the administration’s hollow promises and inefficient policies towards true energy independence.
Biden’s Grandstanding in Wisconsin: A Study in Political Stunts appeared first on Real News Now.
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