Continuous Learning

Congressman Tom Petri

One of my goals during my forced sabbatical is to keep a schedule similar to that of being gainfully employed, remain engaged, and learn new stuff. Today I went to a Town Hall Meeting to learn about the current economic state of affairs in our community. I had never done this and felt like I've been living under a rock! I fully intend to be more aware from this day going forward.

Congressman Tom Petri was quite delightful considering that he was standing up in front of a group of people who each felt that their agenda was the one that he should bring back to Congress and get resolved. He opened the floor for the constituents and was immediately battered but he managed to keep his calm and educate us all on what he's been learning throughout his Town Hall Meetings and work in DC.

Here's just a few of the comments raised by the group:

• The Global Warming Tax -- couldn't this be resolved in a different way? We exported thousands of jobs overseas and pay a huge price (energy and otherwsie) to get them shipped back here for us to purchase. Let's bring manufacturing back home. Petri told us that the Global Warming Tax could adversely affect us in WI and Upper MI as we import a good percentage of our energy. Wind is bringing that reliance down but we don't currently have a way to store the unused energy that is produced . . . more later.
• No Child Left Behind -- what about the gifted children? Isn't there a level of disparity between those that need extra help and those that don't? Parents are pulling their children out of the community schools and home schooling them. Please vote for the reform of the No Child Left Behind program. He agreed that there is much room for discussion in regards to this program.
• Domestic / Eco Terrorism -- Wisconsin is one of the largest centers of animal and plant-based research in the US (bet you didn't know that!); we rank right behind Oxford. Eco terrorists are now part of a national network that make it difficult to track but once we do these people are being prosecuted. A constituent asked him to review the bill for reopening domestic slaughterhouses so we can monitor the humane treatment of horses being sent overseas for slaughter. She also suggested that the 'wild' ponies being held in goverment pens should either be released or slaughtered rather than use our tax paying dollars to feed them - have them feed us!
• War Efforts -- A consituent's son is on his 3rd tour of Iraq; he's been in combat for 3 of his 6 years in the service. In previous war efforts a soldier only saw 12 months. The men and women that are returning need a better way to be reintroduced into the system than what's been happening. Petri told us that finally there is a system that allows the VA's records to communicate directly with the Pentagon. I was surprised to hear that this is still a problem in the age of technology; he seemed a bit embarassed also.
• Priorities -- When there are people losing their homes how can he consiously vote for such flagrant programs such as studying honeybees, blueberries, and pig farts? Aren't we spending money on the wrong things? He tried to explain that it takes a long time to put a program into place and used the example of a naval destroyer -- why do we need 15 of them when certainly 10 should do? OK, I didn't completely follow his way of thinking with this analogy but then a woman farmer stood up and explained how studying the honey bees helps the farmer to pollinate his fields without using commercial fertilizers and excess fuel for farm equipment . . . mmmm, this makes sense now.
• Job Loses -- What is the government doing about them? People need income not more debt. Wind Energy does completely solve the problem as we have no reliable way to store power when the demand is down or what to do when it's not windy? Petri reported that there is a new electric car technology being developed in Milwaukee, Israel, Hawaii, and Denmark that would use the energy from the cars that are plugged in during the non-peak hours. These new cars would use a battery pack that could be easily exchanged in a refueling station. Mmmmm sounds interesting! However, we are looking at a potential .08 to .10 increase in gas and heating fuel in the not-too-distant future.
• Bank Money / Regulation -- Yes, the bailout is given in the form of a loan with interest. All those frauding the system will be prosecuted to the extent of the law.

You're welcome to join me for the next one or perhaps a cup of coffee to discuss the facts and see what each one of us can do to make this world a better place for ourselves, our children, and grandchildren.