The Presidential Lunch Date

Do you think that Romney and Obama had a productive meeting over lunch?

What is your opinion on these meetings?

Does Romney have new ideas and plans that will be beneficial to solve the issues facing the country?

Let me know your opinion on my questions or anything else you have to say about their meeting.

2016?

Well if you watched TV today all you probably heard about was who will be running in 2016!

I can't count the amount of times I have heard about 2016 today already. With the President Obama beginning his final term in office there are those in the media already spreading rumors about who will be replacing him.

We still have 4 years to go and so many issues that need to be dealt with before the next presidential election. I honestly do not care right now who is possibly going to be running for President in 2016, I want these individuals doing their current jobs and not looking to move up. When politicians focus only on advancement they tend to get less done because they are worried about how their actions will effect their chances for the White House.

Where are the stories on the Farm Bill, the Budget, Military Sequestration, and the multitude of other issues that our country is dealing with. My message to CNN and FOXNews is to focus on the huge issues our country still has to deal with between now and 2016 and not who will run for President 4 years from now!

What do you think about these stories about 2016? What issues should be getting more coverage in the media over these rumors?

Election Update: “Whats Next?” “Continued Gridlock?”

             This election cycle did not disappoint, it was full of ups and down and the occasional surprise. I, like probably most of America, was up late last night frantically following the vote totals waiting to see who would be the next President. It was a close hard fought campaign and I feel that both men gave it their all, unfortunately there had to be a winner and a loser like always. President Obama will take the victory and highlighted his goals for the next 4 years in his speech last night.

Though the presidential race was the most televised and it was not the only race yesterday as you know. A big story was the battle over which party would control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, as you know the Republicans held a majority in House while the Democrats had a slim majority in the Senate. Both parties waged massive and expensive campaigns in attempted to gain more seats in this election. Here in Illinois there were 6 highlighted congressional races that Democrats’ set their sights on picking up, in hopes of gaining a majority in the House. They fell short on Tuesday and were only able to swing 4 of the 6, yet there was no change in the balance of power in Washington D.C.

So, just over 4 billion dollars later nothing has changed in government except maybe the sentiment. The Democrats retain the Presidency and majority in the Senate while the Republicans keep control of the House. The questions I find myself asking now following the election is “What is going to happen now?” and “How will the next congress work together to fix the issues facing the nation?”

When I woke up today and turned on the news all I have been hearing about in the election aftermath and the looming “Fiscal Cliff”. The Fiscal Cliff is the compilation of Bush Era Tax Cuts that are set to expire at the same time as $100 billion Spending Cuts go into effect January 1st. Many economic experts fear that these both will cause the US to fall into another recession. Legislators are on record calling for the needed action to prevent the Fiscal Cliff as soon as possible, yet nothing has been done. Now it’s up to the lame-duck Congress to sort out that along with other crucial legislation such as the Farm Bill, Budget Reform as well as issues with the Debt Ceiling.

Although these issues have been sitting on the back burner for so long I am optimistic that they will be addressed soon. Yesterday, both the Majority Leader of the Senate, Sen. Harry Reid (D), and the Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R), made public statements on the election outcomes and the future path that this nation. Both addressed the major issues that are facing our country and talked about the importance of working together to break the gridlock. This is a step in the right direction, but, there are still more questions to be asked and more debates to be had as we work to fix the issues that have plagued us for so long.

Through all of this I am optimistic that a change for the better is on the horizon. I believe that today is a new day in Washington D.C. and truly hope that our elected officials begin to work with each other again to put our country back on the path to success and prosperity. 

11 Days!

What's next!

With 11 full days left, so begins the foot race to the finish line. We are just beginning to hear the last minute appeals by the candidates for our support and in some cases 11th hour announcements on policy issues. Are you prepared to make your choice?

 It will come down to the pivotal battle ground states and will most likely be one of the tightest elections since 2000.  Colorado is currently tied 50/50, Ohio and Florida are both too close to call.

How do you think the Battle Ground States are going to go? What do you see as the results of the Election?

Also the battle for control of the House of Representatives and Senate will be decided on November 6th as well. What party will win control of Congress? What are the issues that will control the outcomes?

Either way these decisions will be made on November 6th in the voting booths across America!

WILL YOU SHOW UP?

Debate Season

Presidential Debates

Last night was the second presidential debate between President Barack Obama and Republican Presidential Nominee Mitt Romney. It was a pretty good slug fest between the President and Romney. I would say that President Obama won hands down. I can understand some of the arguments from the republicans against the moderator but to me she the candidates to the time limit as best as possible and ensured that both men got chances to address each issue. 

Today both men are headed to Ohio to campaign and then of to different states. The election is drawing closer and closer as the days go on and polls keep labeling it as too close to call. It it definitely going to come down to the battle ground states. Ohio and Virginia are taking center stage for the Republican efforts.

Congressional Debates

Tonight at Illinois State University there is a debate between Rodney Davis and David Gill for the Illinois  13th Congressional District.  The new 13th district was drawn with the hopes of the Democratic Party taking back the House of Representatives. From polling data that i have seen the races is leaning slightly in Republican Nominee Rodney Davis' favor. He has a slight lead but the race is not over yet. If you live in the 13th district and are close to Illinois State University's campus I recommend coming out to the debate. It is at 6:00 PM in the Brown Ball Room in the Bone Students Center. Here is the Facebook page for the event. 

The next few weeks there are debates going on in Illinois District 12 and 11 as well. These are great chances for you to learn more about your new districts and the candidates looking to represent you in Washington D.C. for the next two years.

Absent Issues!

The first debate was on domestic policy. What do you think of when you think of domestic policy?

I think of issues such as gas prices and energy issues, transportation and infrastructure, healthcare and medicare, as well as taxes and the economy. Yet all the first debate cover was the economy and healthcare. I feel that the issues with jobs and taxes have squeezed out many other issues that are plaguing Americans everyday.

What do you think?

Even with all this talk of jobs and the economy there is little focus on issues that are pressing and immediate concerns to many Americans living in rural communities. I have been researching the issues that congress left on the docket for after the election and found that many of the issues have received very little press. Issues that have been brought on by the summer drought such as corn yields coming in at a 6 year low as well waterway and infrastructure issues.

After a quick Google search of locks and dam issues i found hundreds of sites and articles that go in to detail on how far our water way infrastructure has fallen. Here in Illinois almost all of the locks and dams haven't been upgraded since the 1980's.  One sight in particular showed some interesting statistics about the importance of locks and dams that i have never heard about. Check it out here!

I bet that many of you haven't even heard about the Farm Bill struggles that have been going on in Washington D.C. all summer. Even if you had heard about it it has surprisingly disappeared from the major media sources. This along with the dilapidated conditions of our locks and damns are two major issues that i would have expected to be apart of the debate last Wednesday.

For more information on the rural economy and the effects of the Farm Bill expiration check out this NPR article.


Are there more issues you believe that should be focused on more in the last 30 days???

Congress Leaves Unfinished Business!

Generally it is this time of year where we hear Congressmen and women coming back to their district touting the work they have completed in the past session. This year all I hear about is the list of unfinished business left back in Washington. It is the longest I have ever seen.

No Solution to the Fiscal Cliff 

No Farm Bill

No Real Budget Reform

No Solution to the Debt Ceiling

No Defense Re-authorization

All these issues must now be dealt with in an abbreviated lame-duck session following the election. With leaving these issues to the election they are poised to be huge election topics. It is sad that policies that could help so many Americans are held up for no reason. In the past session we have seen healthcare repeal acts, that have gone no where, passed 33 times while other crucial issues such as the approaching Fiscal Cliff and the new Farm Bill have not received the attention that they deserve.

The Fiscal Cliff is the compilation of Bush Era Tax Cuts that are set to expire at the same time as $100 billion Spending Cuts go into effect. Many economic experts fear that these both will cause the US to fall into another recession. Legislators are on record calling for the needed action to prevent the Fiscal Cliff  as soon as possible, yet nothing has been done. Now its up to a lame-duck Congress to sort out following November 6th.

Neither side is more at fault than the other for these issues not being completed in the previous session. The partisan bickering on both the Left and the Right have held up needed reforms for the bast 2 years. It is no wonder why Congress's approval rating is at 13%.

We truly need our elected officials to come back after the election and work together otherwise I fear even less will get done in the next session of Congress.