Anthony Cloud
Staff Writer
U.S. Congressman Hal Rogers was at the Pine Mountain State Park and Resort lodge on Thursday to give a legislation update. His focus mainly was on Tuesday’s election.
“You can either keep going as you have been going the last four years and hint toward Greece and the break up of the economy, or you can get back to what made America great,” said Rogers. “That was the free enterprise system.”
Rogers pointed out there has been an increase in people on food stamps — up from 30 million to 47.5 million. He also stated the national debt has grown to $16 trillion.
Rogers said one severe problem the nation faces is that it borrows 42 cents out of every dollar that the government spends. He said the government will borrow almost $3 billion a day.
“You can’t last long that way,” said Rogers.
Rogers also spoke briefly on the amount of federal regulations placed on businesses. According to Rogers, every business owner he speaks with talks about the abundance of red tape and federal regulators interfering with their businesses.
Rogers said in January a perfect storm will take place because of several events scheduled to happen. One of those involves government funding.
Rogers said the Democratic senate has not passed any of the bills that would fund the government in the upcoming year. He also mentioned that $1.8 trillion will have to be slashed from the current budget. These cuts will include a $500 billion cut from the military.
“That will take your navy back to 1916, your Marines back to 1939 and the army back to 1940,” said Rogers.
The last event in the aforementioned perfect storm is the expiration of the Bush tax cuts in January. Rogers said that means taxes will increase. He also claims the current Obama Administration has refused to allow anyone to adjust the tax cuts.
Rogers believes the nation needs a president who understands business, understands what it takes to make the economy work and knows what it takes to make a business work. He believes Mitt Romney is that individual.
A question asked of Rogers was whether there has to be congressional approval for Romney to help the coal industry. Rogers replied that he believes the majority of it can be done administratively.
Roger also believes the attitude of the Environmental Protection Agency has a lot to do with the problems being encountered by the coal industry.
“Lisa Jackson, the head of EPA, is the most arrogant, self-centered person,” said Rogers.
Rogers noted that he believes replacing Jackson will help solve many of the problems involving coal.
He said the number one job for him is to stop the war on coal.
Rogers also addressed Operation UNITE and PRIDE organizations during the event.
He stated that most young people who deal with drugs get their start with the medicine cabinet at home. He encouraged people to dispose of their unwanted drugs and take the temptation away.
Rogers was also scheduled to make stops in Harlan and Cumberland on Thursday.
Anthony Cloud is a staff writer for the Middlesboro Daily News. He can be contacted via email at acloud@heartlandpublications.com or by phone at 606-248-1010, ext.208.
They should listen to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, in this endorsement of President Obama:
Our climate is changing. And while the increase in extreme weather we have experienced in New York City and around the world may or may not be the result of it, the risk that it might be -- given this week’s devastation -- should compel all elected leaders to take immediate action. [...]
We need leadership from the White House -- and over the past four years, President Barack Obama has taken major steps to reduce our carbon consumption, including setting higher fuel-efficiency standards for cars and trucks. His administration also has adopted tighter controls on mercury emissions, which will help to close the dirtiest coal power plants (an effort I have supported through my philanthropy), which are estimated to kill 13,000 Americans a year. [...]
When I step into the voting booth, I think about the world I want to leave my two daughters, and the values that are required to guide us there. The two parties’ nominees for president offer different visions of where they want to lead America. [...]
One sees climate change as an urgent problem that threatens our planet; one does not. I want our president to place scientific evidence and risk management above electoral politics.
Hal Rogers, Republicans and Big Coal are dinosaurs. They are going to be extinct one day soon, and the entire world will be far better off because of it. R.I.P., dinosaurs.