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You promised, Mr. President

Congratulations are in order, President Trump. You have become the leader of our nation — all of us — primed to pursue a revolution in how we govern ourselves.

Your inaugural speech on Friday was excellent. You reminded those who voted for you of why they did so in proclaiming that, “We are transferring power from Washington, D.C., and giving it back to the people” because for too many years, “Washington flourished, but the people did not …”

Many voters, especially in our state, put their faith in you because of specific promises you made.

Among your pledges on the campaign trail was that you would restore a sensible energy policy. Specifically, you assured us you would end the government war on coal and affordable energy and would end the devious strategy of blocking development and use of our oil and natural gas resources.

No one, least of all those of us in Ohio, asks that concern for the environment be shelved. We have had painful, personal experience with what can happen when that is done.

We ask only for a policy truly based on science. That should allow us as a nation to benefit from our vast reserves of coal, gas and oil.

A good first step for you would be to reverse the Obama administration’s actions that have prevented us from putting an all-of-the-above energy strategy to use.

A necessary second step is to invest in clean energy technologies. We need to find ways to burn coal cleanly. We can do that if we try.

Mr. President, we understand the task before you is big — huge, in fact. We also recognize that developments both domestically and internationally may force you to alter some of the stances you have taken.

As long as those changes are based on facts, not politics, reasonable Americans will have no objection to you making them.

But the facts regarding energy are well-known already. There is no good reason for you to back away from your position.

Keeping your promises will be good for Americans — again, all of us. The policies you have outlined should make us more prosperous and more secure.

But there is a second reason to carry through with your pledges. It is that many people, including some who voted for your opponent, are sick and tired of politics as usual. We are fed up with being lied to in attempts to manipulate us. That has eroded our faith in government.

Finally, there is a third reason to do what you said you would. We trust you are the kind of man for whom this factor proves decisive:

You promised, Mr. President.

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