Letter to the editor: Whatley claims 'no inflation,' backs tariffs, Iran War

First published in the Brunswick Beacon, 10.29.26

Michael Whatley has never held elective office. His positions on inflation, tariffs and Trump’s Iran War show why he never should.

Whatley says, “Grocery prices are down,” but they’re up. He says, “there is no inflation,” but it’s 3.7%, versus 3% when Trump was inaugurated. The Fed just raised interest rates for the first time in three years because inflation is so high. Mortgage rates have soared under Trump from 6.91% to 7.47%.

An Oct. 1 AP-NORC poll shows 82% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of inflation, which they blame on Trump’s unconstitutional tariffs and unprovoked Iran War. Whatley said “tariffs are going to be part of” his trade policy. Whatley admits farmers’ fuel and fertilizer costs have soared “because of the war in Iran.” Even so, Whatley insists “I fully support” Trump’s Iran War.

Whatley was a corporate lobbyist — no wonder he doesn’t feel your pain. When Spectrum Local News asked why he never mentions his 20-year lobbying career, Whatley’s campaign didn’t respond.

What’s Whatley hiding? From 2008 to 2019, Whatley was executive vice president of lobbying firm Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA), funded by ExxonMobil and Chevron. CEA’s clients included Duke Energy. Whatley’s family owns hundreds of thousands of dollars of stock in all three companies.

Whatley’s lobbying paid off for Duke — and Whatley. Average residential bills for Duke’s customers increased by 26%, adding $300 a year to your average utility bill.

Whatley even got the North Carolina Utilities Commission to let Duke stick you with the $232 million cost of cleaning up 39,000 tons of toxic coal ash and 27 million gallons of wastewater Duke spilled into the Dan River in Eden in 2014.

As attorney general and governor, Roy Cooper fought for you against Duke’s outrageous rate hikes, which directly benefited Duke stockholders like Whatley.

Of course Whatley likes this economy — your pain is his gain.

Arthur Hill

Southport