Jackson Hits The Airwaves Directing Mainers To Heating Assistance As Energy Costs Skyrocket

PORTLAND, ME — Fifth-generation logger, former Maine Senate President, and Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate Troy Jackson hit the airwaves to bring attention to the affordability crisis facing Maine families following a heating oil assistance PSA released last week. As winter approaches and the cost of home heating oil spikes more than 80%, working-class Mainers are wondering how they’ll be able to fill their tanks and heat their homes before temperatures drop.

MS NOW: Connect with Jacob Soboroff: Maine Democratic Senate nominee Troy Jackson unveils new PSA

Jacob Soboroff: That's, I think, that's pretty novel. You're putting out a direct aid resource rather than a standard campaign ad at the end of this high-stakes race. What was the thought there?
Troy Jackson: Well, it's a lifetime of thought, Jacob. I remember what it was like, I'm worried about how we're gonna be able to heat our home. I remember what it was like worrying about the oil furnace shutting off in the middle of night. I remember what it was like worrying about pipes freezing.
Troy Jackson: I care about people here in Maine [...]. Right now it's the worst it's ever been. I do not know how people are going to heat their homes this winter. I mean, an 80% increase in heating oils from last year. We've had tough times before, but we've never done anything like this. And so I really wanted to make sure that people knew that there were some services out there [...].
Troy Jackson: I'm not going to stand with any president that's going to do what Donald Trump is doing to this country. The Iran War is just making it hard for people to heat their homes, we have so many businesses here in Maine that depend on diesel fuel and things like that, and this will not–they won't be able to continue.
Troy Jackson: And I just want people to know that I do care about these things. I don't care about Democrats or Republicans. What I care about is Mainers that can't make a living, can't feed their family, can't heat their home. That’s who I'm fighting for. That's who I've always fought for because I'm one of them, and I just get it.
Troy Jackson: I've always stood with people that were going up against big corporations. I've been at so many strikes. In fact, that's how I got started. My dad took me to a strike when I was in the seventh grade, first billionaire I ever met, and and ever since then I've understood that power and corruption or money influence holds people back, and they want to make us feel like we're powerless. But when we come together, we have a lot of power, and it doesn't matter if you're Republican or Democrats, it's if you're a Mainer or if you're somebody in the United States that needs that solidarity of standing with people.

WGME: Maine families feel pressure as heating oil costs continue to rise

As temperatures drop, heating oil costs are climbing, and Maine families are feeling the pressure. There have already been some dire warnings about what struggling families could face once we hit the dead of winter, and that threat is real, but there is help out there.
“Susan Collins voted for the Iran war five times. I mean, she's not interested in getting us out of Iran,” Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Troy Jackson said.
As the war in Iran continues, disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz are putting pressure on global oil prices and driving up costs for Mainers.
Meanwhile, Jackson says ending the war is the first step toward lowering costs. “I would bring our troops home,” Jackson said. “I get out of Iran and you know, I make sure that I get more money into the LIHEAP program.”

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