“No easy answers,” she says

By Dave Schwab | SDUN Reporter

Congressmember Susan Davis (D-53) fielded questions in Normal Heights last week from irate constituents, several carrying protest signs and chanting “tax the rich, stop the cuts, end the wars,” who demanded answers on everything from health care reform to ending subsidies for big oil.

But mostly, at an hour-long, packed town hall meeting at Normal Heights Community Center, Wed., May 18, frustrated citizens wanted specifics on how Davis and her congressional colleagues intend to address the ongoing economic recession and continuing job losses and unemployment.

Davis’ reply wasn’t reassuring: She said there are no easy answers—or simple solutions—to today’s problems of soaring deficits, escalating health care and fuel costs and military engagement overseas in the “war on terror.”

“I think it’s very difficult because a lot of people who had steady jobs are having trouble getting jobs, and a lot of those jobs may not be coming back,” said Davis immediately following the town hall. “I think some people need to reinvent themselves,” she added.

The meeting’s edgy tone—Davis was frequently interrupted—was set about midway through when a county employee, who spoke for many in noting the lingering economic recession is wearing heavily on the working class, commented he felt the administration is resigned to “accepting this massive suffering and economic hardship created by this unemploy“ ment,” adding “people are going to begin taking things in their own hands because neither party is taking the suffering seriously.”

“I really appreciate your heartfelt comment,” responded Davis. “I do think we are working very hard to do that (relieve unemployment).” “How?” queried the crowd in unison.

“There’s a lot more we can do to help businesses that provide those goods and services,” was Davis’ short answer.

Another woman, in addressing Davis, noted budget cuts are gouging the core of the local education curriculum. “How are you working to create jobs when teachers are getting pink slips left and right?” Davis was asked.

To which she replied, “One of the things we can’t do with every solution in education is to write a check. When we get everybody back to work, when we tax corporations the way we should, and push tax cuts for people who make under $200,000 and everybody above that at a higher level, we can begin to help the school districts.”

Only 8 percent of federal dollars go to education, a small amount compared to local and state dollars, noted Davis, adding Proposition 13 passed by California in 1975 fundamentally “changed the way we think about education,” in cutting back dramatically on available education funding.

Another constituent thanked Davis for enduring their “angst,” then noted 90 percent of the wealth in the United States is controlled by 1 percent of the population. “Those people don’t pay any taxes,” he commented.

Asked what she and others in Congress are doing to address the budget deficit, Davis said, “Changing the tax code and making sure tax breaks (for corporations and the rich) go away.”

But, warned Davis, “Getting a consensus from enough people in this who are willing to take away those subsidies to big oil where billions and billions are being made … . We’re trying to do that. We’re working very hard on it.”

Following the town hall, pointing out partisanship is continuing in Congress to the detriment of all, Davis noted, “We’re fighting for tax breaks for the rich right now.”

Responding to a public comment during the town hall that the U.S. is involved in foreign wars that it doesn’t need to be in, and that the defense budget “is way out of control” and troops need to be returned home and defense dollars redirected, Davis said, “I didn’t support the war in Iraq. I thought it was a huge mistake. I voted for a president who I think is working as hard as he can to bring an end to this war [Afghanistan].”

Noting she represents a military district, Davis, a member of the House Armed Services and Education and Workforce Committees, added, “So many of our (military) families are very proud of their sons and daughters. … I would think they would be angry, but they’re not. … We have to find a way out.”

Discussing the impact of Osama Bin Laden being eliminated, Davis said she thought it “hastened,” but does not solve, the war on terror.

“The difficulty is we still have a major problem in Afghanistan with Pakistan,” she said. “We have a dependant, complicated relationship right now with a tremendous amount of mistrust. Unfortunately, they’ve got nuclear arms and we can’t take a risk of letting that be a failed state and letting those weapons get in the hands of terrorists.”

Asked afterward what she’d like people to take away from her town hall, Davis replied, “The reason why we hold these meeting is to listen to them: I do hear them.” But she was quick to add, “I don’t have a magic wand to make these problems go away.” Davis commented during the town hall she had brought along a political intern from her office who aspired to becoming a congressmember.

At the end of the meeting, Davis asked her intern, “Do you still want to be a member of Congress?”

“Absolutely,” the intern answered.