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Mickelson, Miller-Meeks give views on causes of financial issues at GOP event |
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Thursday, 09 October 2008 |
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By: Ron Slechta
Both 2nd district Congressional candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks and WHO radio talk show host Jan Mickelson urged people to get involved in government at all levels. They also laid the blame of the nation's financial crisis on the failed home mortgage practices and Democratic blockage of attempts to get control of the problems in both 2003 and 2005.
Both spoke at the Washington County Republican banquet at the 4-H Building at the Washington County Fairgrounds Saturday evening, October 4. Supervisor candidates speaking were Jim Miksch, Washington, first district; Wes Rich, Kalona, second district; Adam Mangold, West Chester, District 4; and James C. Rosien, Washington, District 5. Other county office candidates speaking were incumbent Auditor William C. Fredrick and Sheriff Jerry A. Dunbar.
Iowa House District 89 GOP candidate Jarad Klein, rural Keota, was critical of the 17% increase in state spending since Democrats took control of the Iowa Legislature and Gov. Chet Culver took office. "Spending at the state level is out of control,' he said.
He said he would work hard for fiscal responsibility at the sate level. He was also critical with Gov. Culver for failing to call a special session to deal with issues caused by this summer's floods.
Klein said there would be a special announcement made at his fundraiser at the Farm Bureau office in Washington on Oct. 29 from 5 to 7 p.m. He invited others to join him as he is going door to door.
Miller-Meeks expressed disappointment in the $850 billion federal bailout, stating it wasn't the only way Congress could have acted. She blamed the failure on too much government involvement.
"What we have is a leadership crisis (in Washington, D.C.),"She also pointed out that the Democrats blocked efforts of Senator John McCain and the Bush Administration to try to bring Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac under control in 2005. And Senator Barney Frank blocked every effort of the Administration to head off the financial crisis.
Miller-Meeks was critical of Congressman Dave Loebsack (D) for voting for the bailout and his lack of leadership. She noted she has lost faith in Congress but has faith the people of America will vote in the right people. She encouraged others to get involved, noting she has come from nothing to be a doctor and a candidate for Congress.
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Letter to the Editor: Miller-Meeks Will Represent Iowans |
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Tuesday, 07 October 2008 |
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Last Friday, Rep. David Loebsack, D-Iowa, helped to pass a bill forcing taxpayers to pay off $700 billion worth of bad debt incurred by unscrupulous lenders and Wall Street speculators and another $150 billion on pork barrel projects. He did this despite cries of protest from his Iowa constituents.
Nationwide, we are already struggling with soaring prices on fuel and food. With winter approaching, many of us are wondering how we’ll afford heating costs that are predicted to break records. Loebsack ignores these concerns and instead opts to raise taxes and exacerbate the problems Iowans face. We need someone in Congress who hears our voices and acts accordingly, something Loebsack refuses to do.
I spoke with Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks this past Saturday. She called me up personally after I left her a message a day earlier and we spoke at length about the economic concerns Iowans are facing. She agreed that tacking an additional $150 billion to an already staggering $700 billion was adding insult to taxpayer injury. She wants to begin, as her campaign slogan states, “Healing Iowans, Healing Congress.”
I admire her resume, which includes titles such as wife, mother, soldier, nurse and doctor. I approve of her fiscally responsible solutions and I look forward to having a congresswoman who takes the time to speak with constituents so that she’s aware of the issues affecting us.
It’s time that we take back the power we’ve bestowed upon Loebsack and give it instead to someone who will work hard for Iowans. Vote for Dr. Mariannette Miller-Meeks on Nov. 4, and send the message to Congressman Loebsack that his failure to represent Iowans will no longer be tolerated.
Jennifer DeFosse
Muscatine, Iowa
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Letter to the editor: "Miller-Meeks Can Clean Up Washington" |
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Monday, 06 October 2008 |
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Printed in the Press Citizen
I loaned somebody 700 billion cases of champagne, based on frothy promises. But I can't figure out where they went -- nor can anybody else.
So, now I need that whoever to pay me back. How about the taxpayers?
And where have we heard this story before? Compromised congressmen usually can anesthetize the taxpayers toward boondoggles, especially when special interests ply their trade in the "august" corridors of power.
So what kind of people have let this happen? Well, our benevolent "guardian" has been Rep. Dave Loebsack, who can't even get disaster funds for us without becoming dependent on den mother Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to do the heavy lifting for him.
Maybe he's been too busy pursuing hundreds of thousands of dollars for his august self instead, from out-of-state PACs -- including for instance a particularly malodorous $5,000 from Congressman Charlie Rangel of New York.
Loebsack's buddy Rangel, the tax evading guru, writes tax laws and then can't obey them himself. Nevertheless, his swill pumped into Loebsack's coffers was ferreted out by Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Her detective work then forced Loebsack to surrender it all to local nonprofits.
We need more such achievements toward cleaning up Washington, and Miller-Meeks will be able to do the job full-time when we elect her on Nov. 4. Then she can get to work on that other little legerdemain that's happened on Loebsack's watch: $700 billion mysteriously vanishing.
Randy Crawford
Coralville
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Miller-Meeks: Congress Must Set Aside Politics, Address Root Causes Of Financial Crisis |
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Tuesday, 30 September 2008 |
OTTUMWA – Congress must address the root cause of the financial sector's crisis to prevent Wall Street's problems from spreading even farther and creating additional damage to the broader economy, GOP congressional candidate Mariannette Miller-Meeks said today.
"The $700-billion bailout that Congress defeated Monday was not the answer. But, doing nothing is not appropriate, either, and will have severe repercussions to our economy," Miller-Meeks said. "We need to quickly stabilize the financial system with the least cost to the taxpayers. If we fail to quickly get the credit market flowing, Main Street jobs will be at risk and businesses will not be able to purchase equipment, supplies, expand or even continue in business,. Now is not the time for nitpicking and political bickering. Now is the time for action – smart, courageous action."
She said Congress should remove language from Community Reinvestment Act that encouraged excessive risk-taking by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and authorized the development of bundled mortgage debt obligations creating this morass and passing the risk onto others. Miller-Meeks advocates temporarily suspending mark-to-market accounting so that banks can stabilize their accounts instead of writing down good loans that will be repaid in full.
"Home owners who are dutifully paying their mortgages on their primary home and have been honest in their application, should be protected with new mortgage product or stabilization of the housing prices. We should penalize those responsible for the losses and keep current executives in place without golden parachutes. Unfortunately, those who benefited most are already gone from those institutions," she said. "Ultimately, we have to be leaders and quickly stabilize the financial system and economy with the knowledge that taxpayers will benefit with a well-crafted plan."
Miller-Meeks said the federal government does have an appropriate role in the crisis, including purchasing some institutions and securities at fair market value and selling them at fair market value to the benefit of taxpayers. She believes all proceeds from the eventual sale of such assets should pay down the national debt or provide a tax dividend to taxpayers.
Miller-Meeks said she would have sided with the three Iowa congressmen who voted against the bill. Rep. David Loebsack, Miller-Meeks' opponent, voted for the bailout.
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Letter to the editor: "Miller-Meeks: the person we need" |
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Monday, 29 September 2008 |
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Printed in the Press Citizen
The story of Mariannette Miller-Meeks is all-American. Her background as the fourth child of eight, a soldier, a nurse-turned-medical-doctor is a good old-fashioned heartfelt American story of hard work and determination leading to success.
Miller-Meeks embodies Iowa core values, and she's the best fit to truly represent the people of the Second District in Congress. She has the judgment, training and experience to tackle the tough issues of health care, national defense and economic development.
Join me in voting for Miller-Meeks in November.
Mike Thayer
Coralville
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