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When I saw Chuck Edwards’ Aug. 1 tweet (I’m aware that Twitter is now called X, and these are now called posts, but to paraphrase the late Logan Roy, Elon Musk is not a serious person, and thus, I’m going with the established vernacular over hijinks manufactured to keep Musk’s name in headlines) my initial reaction was an eye roll.
“Americans deserve an accountable government,” Edwards tweeted, accompanied by a graphic bragging about the 631 hearings the House GOP has had “overseeing” the Biden administration.
“I will continue to do everything in my power as your congressman,” he continued, “to deliver the transparency and accountability the citizens of Western North Carolina deserve.”
Merriam-Webster defines “transparent” as “free from pretense or deceit,” “easily detected or seen through,” and “characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices.”
In April of 2021, when he was still a state senator, Edwards was the subject of a WBTV article titled, “Lawmakers push for PPP change that would give them tax break.” Edwards, the primary sponsor of a bill to change how pandemic PPP loans were taxed, stood to save “at least” $40,000-$50,000 for his McDonald’s franchises through its passage.
When asked if this bill seemed more than a little like a conflict of interest, Edwards said, “I wasn’t at all concerned because I wasn’t — and have not been — acting on my behalf.” The WBTV article notes that said bill only became public after they sent the state congress interview requests.
Transparency is “characterized by visibility or accessibility of information especially concerning business practices.”
Similarly, on Twitter, Edwards acted like the hero swooping in to advocate for Canton when Pactiv Evergreen Paper Mill announced it was closing. On March 9, he tweeted, “I’ve been in touch with @NC_Governor, Mayor @ZebSmathers & the Haywood County Commissioners to discuss all available options to assist those affected by the closure.”
However, according to Smoky Mountain News reporter Cory Vaillancourt, Edwards already knew the mill was closing. On Feb. 8, a leaked memo indicated that Pactiv planned to idle production at the mill a full month before publicly announcing its closure. Vaillancourt contacted Edwards on Feb. 8-9 with this news and was ignored.
More: Opinion: WNC’s Rep. Chuck Edwards continues to willfully ignore the gun violence crisis
More: Opinion: Chuck Edwards’ gas stove advocacy more proof he focuses on wrong stuff
In an article for Smoky Mountain News titled “Edwards rejects mill help,” Vaillancourt writes, “‘I really reserve the right to respond to those media outlets that I’ve been able to build good relationships with that have reported the news fairly,’ Edwards said, without citing any examples of ‘unfair’ reporting.’”
Transparency is “free from pretense or deceit.”
But transparency is also “easily detected or seen through,” indicating that maybe good ole Chuck and his mountain values have been transparent all along!
Here I am trying to disparage Edwards’s transparency when the initial tweet I used as an example is an easily detected and seen-through example of just how flagrantly and publicly Edwards has been about wasting his constituents’ time and taxpayer money with non-issue issues, publicly picking Republican talking points over issues affecting Western North Carolinians again and again.
On average, a congressional session lasts 140 days. That’s not a lot of time (especially compared to the average American who works 250 days a year), and Edwards is bragging on Twitter about using that precious time to have 631 hearings for the GOP to “oversee” if Biden’s family received “preferential treatment,” which, I’d venture anyone who doesn’t spend the bulk of their time in Q-Anon Reddit threads would agree is … excessive. This is the same Edwards who bragged via Twitter about how he and his colleagues spent an entire day in Congress “saving” gas stoves, even though 90% of North Carolina households have already switched to electric (though it bears pointing out that most fast food chains use gas).
Edwards’ Twitter account has also made it easy to detect how much his hyperbolic fearmongering differs from those following him. On July 6, Edwards put up a Twitter poll asking people if they think “Bidenomics” is hurting the economy, to which 77.8% of respondents said “no.” On June 5, he asked if gas stove restrictions attacked American freedom ― 56% of respondents said “no.” Both of these polls remain transparently on his Twitter feed.
Many social media naysayers complain about the hate and division social media sows. That’s valid, but it’s also been a helpful tool for letting politicians who prioritize seeing their names and words in headlines over smart PR give us a public record of their ineptitude.
Pat Brothwell is a former high school teacher, and current writer and marketing professional living and working in Asheville.
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