Editor’s Note: Views expressed in guest columns and letters to the editor reflect the views of the author, not the views of The State News.

Money talks in politics, and while U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., rakes in the cash, constituents such as me suffer.
Upton has used his time in Congress to repeatedly block clean air standards which would safeguard public health from pollution spewed out of power plant smokestacks.
These corporate polluters like to give out the campaign dough, but that money comes with a price. Michigan residents are paying too big a price when it comes to our health.
In recent months, the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, has proposed smart emissions standards for mercury and other air toxins, along with carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. These air pollutants poison our water and wildlife and contribute to smog, which triggers human asthma and heart attacks.
The EPA finally is doing its job by putting standards in place to curb emissions over time, which will let us all breathe a little easier. Upton should support these efforts instead of standing up for corporate polluters time and time again.