Alabama was never going to vote for Kamala Harris. It would have been a joke for Harris to even campaign there. This is a state that almost made a Senator out of Roy Moore after he was accused of sexually assaulting minor girls.

It’s safe to say that Alabamians are among the most reliable of Trumpers. There’s no telling what made them start voting against their own best interests — other than unscrupulous Republicans taking advantage of Alabama’s status as the most religious state in America to make them vote purely on social conservatism — but it’s a deep, deep red state.

That’s why voters in Madison County (54% Trump) and Limestone County (73% Trump) must be so surprised to find out that their votes are going to cost them actual money.

A letter went out just over a week ago from Huntsville Utilities, which provides electricity, natural gas, and water to residents of the two counties. The letter detailed what was about to happen to consumers’ bills: They’re about to pay an extra hundred bucks a month.

The grant freeze that Trump ordered hit hard in places where those grants were helping out underserved citizens in poor areas, and that’s one of the poorest in the nation.

Dear Customer,

This letter informs you that your above-referenced utility account has been debited for $100. Community Action Agency of Huntsville/Madison & Limestone Counties has notified us that the grant you received for $100.00 on January 23, 2025 is no longer valid due to President Trump’s executive order to rescind the funding behind the grant. The grant you received for $100 has been debited to your account [number] and will be due with your next invoice.

We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. If you need to make payment arrangements or have questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our office at (256)535-1200.

That’s more than just not getting money. That’s money that was already credited to their accounts being taken back. Any customer that was told they were getting a $100 credit may have actually used that money already to pay for food, gas, or other expenses, and now they have a sudden, unexpected bill for $100 that will be due next month.

In addition to their regular bill.

In an email to journalist Judd Legum, of the Substack Popular Information, Mike Presley of the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs confirmed that the letter was real. Presley said that Alabama had gotten a “$1 million allocation for the LIHEAP program from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for fiscal year 2025.”

Presley went on: “Under the IIJA, eligible households that receive heating assistance from the regular [Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program] LIHEAP program funds also receive a supplemental award of $100 from these IIJA funds to help with home heating costs until the IIJA funds are depleted.”

But, he said, “[t]his supplemental funding is currently paused due to President Trump’s executive order titled Unleashing American Energy.”

How ironic, that the result costing Alabamians MORE for their heating came from an Executive Order that was intended to “address high energy prices,” at least according to what Trump said.

Legum himself wrote that “It’s possible that similar increases could hit consumers around the country. Other programs suspended by the executive order, such as the Home Energy Rebates programs, could further increase utility bills.”

What’s most maddening is that Trump literally promised specifically to lower Americans’ energy bills. He never gave a real framework for how he was going to do that, other than “increase production.” But America was already a net exporter of oil AND natural gas, the only energy sources that Trump’s been interested in.

1. Donald Trump promised that, as president, he would drastically lower Americans' energy bills.

But hundreds of Alabama residents are receiving a $100 surcharge on their energy bills as a direct result of Trump's actions in the White House. pic.twitter.com/ItmU3gPZJT

— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 13, 2025

If he wanted to lower bills, he could have simply ordered American companies to keep more of the supply at home. It wouldn’t have “taken time to build infrastructure” or anything. He could literally have lowered energy costs for everyone using either of those things instantly, on day one.

Unfortunately, that’s not what Trump actually wants to do. He wants to line the pockets of energy companies more, not save you money. It’s predictable and boilerplate Republican doublespeak, like when they called their anti-pollution bill the “Clear Skies Act,” even though it allowed 42 million more tons of pollution to be emitted than the EPA bill that was one the table at the time.

It’s like when they called their effort to decriminalize gun silencers the “Hearing Protection Act.”

It’s like… well, you get the picture. If Trump tells you he wants to reduce your cost for something, the “your” he’s talking about isn’t you.

Huntsville, Alabama residents are going to receive a 100 dollar increase in their utility bills. Elections have consequences, and the Trump loyalists who live in the poorest states in our nation are continually finding themselves at the hindmost part of the #FAFO stage. pic.twitter.com/cvFNblQOSt

— 🌒September🌕Rayne🌘 (@Lippyaddiction) February 14, 2025