Anne Barth Press Release

ANNE BARTH GREETS WORKERS
AT SOUTH CHARLESTON’S UPS FACILITY
-Promises to Correct Bush-Capito Economic Policy Failures-

Charleston, W.Va. – Continuing her one-on-one conversation with voters, Anne Barth, the Democratic nominee for the Second Congressional District, joined Teamsters International Vice President and Local #175 President Ken Hall this morning outside UPS’ South Charleston facility to greet workers and listen to their concerns.

“These are men and women who get up every single day and work hard to keep America’s economic engine going,” said Anne Barth, who greeted more than 100 UPS employees who are represented by the Teamsters.  “Right now, America’s economy is not working. West Virginians are paying record prices for gasoline and groceries and struggling to make ends meet.  Some of our transportation and trucking industries have had to scale back operations and in some cases cut jobs because of high fuel prices.”

Part of Anne Barth’s solution to help ease the high gasoline costs incurred by companies like UPS is to get more domestic oil and gasoline onto the U.S. market as soon as possible by requiring companies to get busy drilling on the 68 million acres of permitted federal lands they already hold. Anne believes oil companies should get busy drilling on what they have now while also exploring the Outer Continental Shelf,” noted Talley Sergent, a Barth campaign spokesperson.

“From day one, Anne Barth will work to lower gas prices by supporting responsible policies that work for West Virginians,” Sergent said, adding that the George Bush-Shelley Moore Capito era of rewarding big business over working people is nearing an end.  “Anne Barth supports increasing responsible drilling, cracking down on price gouging and speculation, and using West Virginia coal to help meet our energy needs. Coal must be a centerpiece of any national energy policy.”

The week George Bush and Shelley Moore Capito took office in 2001, gasoline cost $1.39 a gallon in West Virginia.  This July, while Shelley Moore Capito was voting against making oil companies use their land permits to drill for oil, gasoline peaked at more than $4 a gallon. 

 “This campaign is about people and priorities,” Sergent said.  “Anne Barth represents Main Street and Shelley Moore Capito represents Wall Street.”