U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., visited East Lansing Friday, calling for an end to taxpayer subsidies to major oil companies and advocating for more clean fuel options.
Stabenow spoke outside H&H Mobil, 1500 Haslett Road, a family-owned gas station franchise and the first in Michigan to install a charging station for electric cars.
Rather than subsidize the top oil companies, Stabenow said the government should put the $21 billion in taxpayer money toward decreasing the federal deficit.
“There is no reason why taxpayers should be subsidizing this industry,” Stabenow said. “We have a number of (fuel) choices that we need to get at the station.”
The visit came as gas prices continue to hover around four dollars per gallon in the Lansing area.
At Stabenow’s side was Joe Duffy, president of the MSU College Democrats, who praised her efforts.
“High gas prices make going to college even more expensive,” Duffy said. “High gas prices make an uncertain job market even more fragile.”
Duffy thanked Stabenow for fighting to end “sweetheart” deals with corporations, which he said are destructive for consumers.
Stabenow said the current setup is destructive for consumers, as it allows oil companies to control the market while reaping taxpayer benefits.
“We have seen the price of gas continue to go up and up,” Stabenow said.
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