Barack Obama on hand to answer questions concerning health, taxes, problems of residents
Monday, October 17, 2005
Printable FormatBy Tara Fasol
West Frankfort Daily American
Southern Illinois had a lot to say Saturday as Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) made rounds to several local communities across the Heartland.
"I'm happy with all of the work I've been doing," Obama told a group of interested individuals who attended one town hall meeting held at the West Frankfort City Hall. "Sometimes it's frustrating for me. I'm in the minority party."
Obama spoke on several issues before opening up the floor to the questions and concerns of his constituents.
"We focus a lot on health care," Obama said.
The senator noted that he has worked closely with fellow Senator Hilary Clinton (D-NY) and Senate House Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN).
Alternative fuel was another concern of the senator as he shared his personal environmentally friendly fuel choices.
"I drive a flexible fuel vehicle up in Chicago," he said. "I can save up to $10 at the pump."
Obama said by using the E-85 alternative fuel he can save money and cut back on pollutants to the environment but has found that finding the fuel can be the most difficult aspect of being environmentally conscious.
"Not every station sells it," he said.
The senator said in reaction to the recent rise in fuel costs he has offered incentives to business owners who will provide the E-85 to their customers.
During the open question session West Frankfort resident Eddie Stevens asked the senator about a recent push to privatize social security benefits.
"It may not have received proper burial yet but it has received last rights," Obama laughed.
The senator took the opportunity to take the first of many cheap shots at President George Bush who backed the privatization plan and added that he did not believe the system was as in as deep of a rut as the republican's would like people to believe.
"Social Security is a system where current workers pay for those who have already retired and our kids do the same for us," Obama said.
The senator said the problem is not with the social security system but rather the ratio of workers to retirees.
Obama explained that if there is a 25 percent difference in the numbers of people who are working and number of people paying social security than the recipients are only receiving 75 percent of their allotted benefits.
From social security to coal the senator shifted gears and answered concerns by resident Tom Martin who provided Obama with printed facts and figures concerning the current coal situation in southern Illinois.
"We have coal, coal, coal," Martin said.
The resident said for every one ton of coal nearly 4.78 tons of crude oil could be manufactured.
"As many of you know, and this happened before I got to Washington, the economics of coal changed," Obama said.
The senator added that he is on board with the Future Gen project that local State Representative John Bradley (D-Marion) and Benton native Senator Gary Forby (D) has also backed.
Future Gen focuses on "coal gasification technologies" and Obama said he believes that is the right direction for southern Illinois communities in an ongoing effort to control energy prices.
A local teacher talked to Obama about her concerns over No Child Left Behind initiatives.
"We are going to have to improve the performance of all of our kids," Obama said.
The senator said the ratings for American students in math and science were low compared to other nations and he felt it was a negative reflection on what the future might hold for advances nationally in those areas.
Obama added that he felt a major flaw in the system was the focus on meeting standards rather than measuring progress, especially in the special education category.
"Special education standards are too high," he said. "They aren't going to get to the norm because they are special education kids."
The senator said he put blame on the President for weak areas of the program due to a lack of funding.
"George Bush left the money behind for No Child Left Behind," he said. "No Child Left Behind is up for review next year."
Tom Tanner traveled over from Herrin to ask the senator about his position on post-traumatic stress disorder and veterans benefits.
"It doesn't make any sense that Illinois veterans, on average, would be any different than veterans anywhere else," Obama said as he noted Illinois veterans were previously being paid anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000 less than veterans in other areas.
Obama noted that he also fought Veterans Affairs over recent attempts to cut disability checks to people who received payment for post-traumatic stress disorder.
After the announcement was made that veterans receiving 100 percent of their payment for the disorder would have cases reviewed, Obama said he held a press conference questioning the VA's motives.
"So, if you are too generous to veterans you are going to look at these cases to see how you can be less generous," Obama said.
The senator said the new generation of soldiers fighting in Iraq would need the same treatments that their predecessors were offered and he will continue to push for disability availability under the post-traumatic stress disorder.
"In 24-hours you are back here in this beautiful day and the adjustment that has to do with that," the senator said about soldiers returning. "Veterans are seven times more likely to become homeless."
On the issue of methamphetamine Obama said he has made significant strides as he continues to work with state and local officials to bring funding and support to smaller police stations.
The senator said he recently met with a multi-jurisdictional task for in Anna, as well as, Metro-East officials.
With the aid of "burn amendment funding" local task forces can be funded to address the methamphetamine and other drug problems, alleviating the brunt end of the burden from small departments.
According to Obama, President Bush attempted to cut that budget item from $9 million to $6 million but with the support and backing of himself and other legislators the $3 million cut was not made.
"We have got to have some national standards to make it much more difficult to obtain pseudoephedrine or other ingredients to make meth," Obama said. "We are trying to make it more restrictive."
Currently Obama is co-sponsoring the Combat Meth Act with a Missouri Senator.
Obama said he believes the new legislation will help in the areas of education, prevention, and financial backing for cracking down on the epidemic.
"It has got to be education, prevention, and social services--it can't just be incarceration," the senator said. "I think that is true for our drug problem in general."
Early prevention and intervention is the key, according to Obama, who said with the exception of violent criminals he is a proponent of rehabilitation in the early stages of abuse.
Local farmer Larry Miller told the senator he should visit a southern Illinois farm before he left the Heartland and Obama noted that has maintained a good rapport with the farm industry since he first took office.
"I have developed a good working relationship with the farm bureau since I began in legislation," he said. "It's harder and harder to be a family farmer."
Obama said he finds that the most challenging part of passing legislation to benefit farmers is ensuring that the funding goes straight towards to the farm.
"That is always sort of the challenging part in terms of farm bills," he said. "Making sure that he money goes to the farmers is my main concern."
Other audience members commented on the "spirituality" of democrats and the perceptions that the Republican Party is more in touch with their Christianity.
"I'm a Democrat and I find those things to be compatible," Obama said.
The senator said he believes Democrats talk too much about what needs to be done rather than what they believe in terms of their spiritual positions.
"I think the Republicans have the opposite problem," he said. "They only talk about values and never economic problems."
Insurance company concerns, abuse and family violence, and future discussion into healthcare rounded off the town meeting, marking Obama's first scheduled visit to West Frankfort.