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District 9, a newly
charted territory that covers five counties starting with parts
of Lucas County to parts of Cuyahoga Count—the new North Coast
district—presents an interesting race between incumbent US
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur—a Democrat—and Samuel J.
Wurzelbacher, better known as ‘Joe the Plumber’ on the
Republican ticket.
Both candidates were
invited to debate at the City Club special forum on Oct. 11,
2012, but Wurzelbacher declined, allowing Ms. Kaptur to share
her service in Congress to the magnitudes present at the City
Club. As the longest serving women in US Congress, Ms. Kaptur
said she may not be the flashiest candidate but she would
outwork anyone else.
She looks forward to
working with Democrats Betty Sutton and Marcia Fudge
and said the first time in Ohio’s history the state is being
represented by three women if in fact all three are re-elected
by their respective voters, “I am sure this is not what they had
in mind when drawing the redistricting lines but I can assure
you Betty, Marcia, and I know how to work together.”
As a member of the
Appropriations Committee she said her presence is critical
because she is the only representative from the Midwest; this
region often gets overlooked from many essential financing
bills. Using the eagle as an example of rebirth, Kaptur said
Ohio too is rebounding and growing and with appropriate
representation she wants to see the region invest in the ports
and use the abundance of natural resources to improve the
economy.
She commended the Urban
Garden project saying all schools should have year round
greenhouse gardens to provide not just fresh produce but educate
children on growing techniques. Embracing the diversity of the
region is an asset she said: “If you want to meet the world,
come to Cleveland.”
Kaptur said investing in
Wind Energy is a strategic plan for the region because
the prime location can turn the Lake Erie coast into the
Saudi Arabia of Wind. Ms. Kaptur said policies that
encourage innovation need to be supported and new ideas and ways
need to be encouraged so the U.S. coasts on the Great Lakes can
thrive. She recalled touring Canada’s wind turbines and finding
out about turbines that store energy in the base and not top
allowing for easier consumption and was told these models are
not allowed in the U.S. She said such policies are roadblocks to
progress and needs to be addressed. She said foreign trade and
tax laws need to be re-evaluated because, as they currently
stand, U.S. companies are facing unfair barriers.
Ms. Kaptur also criticized
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney for his
position on letting the auto industry fail and said without
Pres. Barack Obama’s support the Midwest regions would have had
severe consequences for its citizens.
Ms. Kaptur served with
Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan on the
Budgets Committee and pressed for information on his character
she described Ryan as a man of ideology who has difficulty
understanding views that are not in-line with his own. She said
Ryan’s chairmanship of the committee created a bi-partisan
gridlock that is not conducive for U.S. progress.
Kaptur congratulated City
Club of Cleveland on their 100th year and said she
was honored to have the opportunity to reappear at the podium
which has welcomed presidents and dignitaries from around the
world, “But alas not Joe the Plumber.”
Dick Kistemaker,
retired UAW local 1005 member said Kaptur has proven herself
with her service; “She is for the people,” he said. Kistemaker
praised her hard work and said the new District 9 is in good
hands but the long distance and travel is unfair to the
Congresswoman. He said her opponent, Wurzelbacher, is not based
on reality and his refusal to debate Kaptur indicates he does
not want to embarrass himself.
Candidate Wurzelbacher was
heavily criticized for his recent remarks while campaigning in
Arizona (not Ohio) to ‘shoot Mexicans’ that tried to enter the
United States without documentation.:
“I’m running for Congress. How many congressmen or people
running for Congress have you heard, put a fence up and start
shooting? None? Well you heard it here first. Put troops on the
border and start shooting, I bet that solves our immigration
problem real quick.”
Wurzelbacher rose to fame
during the 2008 Presidential Campaign when he confronted
then-candidate Barack Obama on his tax policies for small
businesses. The questions remains, will he appear with Ms.
Kaptur at the
Oct. 17,
2012 Political Candidate Forum in Lorain hosted by
the Coalition for Hispanic/Latino Issues and Progress (CHIP).
On the Internet:
http://wonkette.com/480892/joe-the-plumber-will-shoot-all-your-mexicans-for-you-arizona
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