Klobuchar - Questions I Get Asked Around the State
09/18/2005
It’s great to visit with so many of you as I travel throughout the state. Our momentum builds everyday, and I’m grateful for the hundreds of volunteers who’ve been working at parades and other events, rain or shine. Many of you have had a chance to meet some of my family members, including my dad, Jim, my mom, Rose, my in-laws, Bill and Marilyn (they wear the “I’m Amy’s In-Law” t-shirts), and my daughter and husband.
In addition to fun, there’s always a lot of serious discussions and good questions about the important issues facing our state and nation. Here are a few of the most common questions I get asked, along with my answers. You can read the complete list in the Klobuchar Chronicle on my website. There’ll be more to come in the months ahead, and I hope you’ll visit http://www.amyklobuchar.com often.
1. What should we do about what happened to New Orleans?
First we need to continue helping the victims. Thousands of Minnesotans have already contributed to the relief effort with money, supplies, volunteer time and even their homes. Information on how to help is available on our website, amyklobuchar.com.
Second, we must investigate what could, or should, have been done better to prepare for this type of disaster and how the richest nation on earth could have left so many people stranded for so long - many of them too sick, too young or too old to leave.
Third, we must take action. The image of the desperate people left behind was like a mirror held to the faces of our country’s leadership. ! What happened in New Orleans was a refl ection of decisions made in Washington and elsewhere. In Minnesota, we’ve had experiences with disasters like the 1998 St. Peter tornado, the 1997 flood in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks and the Mississippi and Minnesota River floods of 1993. Minnesotans know that fast action and federal support were crucial in recovering and rebuilding in the aftermath of these natural disasters. We must not let Washington shirk its responsibilities to protect Americans.
2. Do you support privatizing Social Security?
For generations, Social Security has been a stable and secure retirement guarantee for all Americans. I oppose this administration’s risky scheme to privatize Social Security because it would turn the guarantee of a secure retirement into a gamble, with only the big financial companies on Wall Street coming out as sure winners. The administration’s plan would divert billions of dollars out of Social Security and put it into the stock market. It would also require trillions of dollars of borrowing for transition costs. That’s no way to fix a system. I support enhancing private retirement options such as IRA and 401(k) accounts. And I believe we can plan ahead on a bipartisan basis to responsibly address any Social Security funding shortfalls.
3. What can we do about gas prices?
As I travel the state, many of you have shared your concerns about the rising costs of energy. And, of course, I’ve seen and experienced it myself every time I go to fill up my own car with gas. Experts say we should get used to thes! e price levels, and not be surprised if they go even higher. Our country currently has to buy well over half of our oil from foreign countries. This growing dependence on foreign oil threatens both our prosperity and our national security. We can’t continue down the same energy path that’s got us here, but Washington seems more interested in protecting the big oil companies. Complacency is our enemy, and we need a comprehensive energy strategy to get us on a better course.
While the recently passed energy bill includes a number of provisions that will help promote homegrown Minnesota energy, I believe we need to do more. Here in Minnesota, we have ability to produce a wide variety of homegrown energy - ethanol, biodiesel, wind, solar and biomass sources. As your Senator, I will encourage the use o! f homegrown alternative fuels that will bolster Minnesota’s economy, and I will fight to strengthen efficiency and emissions standards so we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
We also need to stop price gouging by oil companies. In early September, I called for a “gas gouging penalty” against oil companies that were gouging American consumers at the gas pump even before Hurricane Katrina. Oil companies this year have been enjoying record profits. Exxon Mobil is the richest company in America. It violates our basic principle of fair play when major oil companies can gouge consumers - not only hurting ordinary families, but also harming other businesses that see their own costs go up dramatically.
You can read my answers to numerous other questions I get on the campaign trail at http://www.AmyKlobuchar.com including discussion on education, health care, Iraq, farm policy, and of course “How will you win this election?”
Thank you for your support.
We’re going to win this and bring Minnesota values back to Washington!
Sincerely,
Amy Klobuchar