Letter: Voters should reject fossil fuel subsidies

BANGOR DAILY NEWS • June 16, 2026

The world as we know it today was built on the back of burning fossil fuels. Unfortunately, this process has come at a tremendous cost. Emissions from burning fossil fuels are rapidly warming our world at a rate that has never occurred in the history of our planet. Why, then, do we continue to burn planet-killing fossil fuels? One primary reason is the tremendous control the fossil fuel industry has over our government. Our federal government spends between $20 billion to $35 billion a year on direct handouts to the fossil fuel industry. It is time for voters to demand absolute transparency and use their ballots to reject candidates who prioritize fossil fuel payouts over our planet’s future. ~ Ron Sadler, Bangor