Printer-friendly version
E-Mail This Story
By KAREN MIKOLS
Hays Daily News
Unity was one of the goals Congressman Jerry Moran preached during stop 17 of his annual listening tour.
He spoke to members and guests of the Hays Rotary Club on Monday during the noon hour.
"The politics I see in the capital isn't what's best for the country," Moran, R-Kan., said. "It's about the Republican or Democrat team. My goal is to be on the Kansas and America team.
"Politics I see today is different than it was when I grew up. Today, it's about making the other side look bad and you look good. What I hope happens in 2008 is putting aside partisanship. I hope this is a year we see Congress and the president work together. I hope to see an America that wants what's good for America, not what's good for the Democrats or Republicans."
As part of the listening tour, Moran answered questions from the audience.
Will there be a farm bill passed?
"Yes," he said. "It's a must pass and will come true, but the time frame is difficult. The consequence of agricultural policy has a huge impact on all of us."
The war in Iraq: "I hope to see enough success to bring soldiers home."
No Child Left Behind: "No Child Left Behind needs significant change. My concern is we're going to ruin the teaching profession as it becomes more bureaucratic."
Energy: "We are way too dependent on foreign oil. The current policy has consequences on national security and economics."
Social Security: "The population is aging and the workforce is narrowing. If you look at history, the president and Congress respond when there's a crisis."
Budget earmarks: "The last spending bill had 9,000 earmarks, and we had five hours to look at the contents. One of my goals is to provide a greater level of transparency."
Health care: "We may see this as the national issue of the '08 presidential race. The greatest bang for our buck is wellness and fitness."
The listening tour is something Fort Hays State University assistant professor of political science Chapman Rackaway said is vital to Moran's job as a congressman.
"The most important thing is to communicate with constituents," Rackaway said. "One thing that always impressed me about Moran is his aggressive way in communicating with the district."
Communicating with the district is something Linda Donlay said she thinks Moran does well.
"I think he's one of the truly honest people we have in Washington," she said.
One area she said she was glad to hear Moran address was health care.
"I'm a member of the baby boomers," she said. "I also have aging parents."
Reporter Karen Mikols can be reached at (785) 628-1081, Ext. 143, or by e-mail at
kmikols@dailynews.net.
COMMENT ON THIS STORY
All comments are subject to approval before being posted. Please keep comments constructive and relevant. Opinions certainly can be expressed, but comments that are rude, abusive, slanderous, threatening, sexually oriented, contain profanity or are vulgar will not be tolerated. Comments will not be edited. Any comment that violates the above-listed rules will be deleted.
