Rep. Walz Visits Constituents in Rochester

02/19/2007

Paul Munnis
The Rochester Democrat


After a busy week at work people need to get to the supermarket and refill their pantries for the week ahead. As they look at the high price of food, the obvious inflation in their budget, and decide to put off that vacation for awhile longer, they look up and find their Congressman ready to discuss matters with them.

That's how Rep. Tim Walz is playing it these days as he commits himself to return from Washington, DC, each weekend to his District and to make himself available to constiuents to discuss government and the role that it plays in their lives.

This weekend he was at the Hy-Vee Supermarket at Barlow Plaza in Rochester, located just one block from his Rochester office at Northgate Mall, to make himself available to the public. He fielded questions on the DM&E railroad loan by Congress, the War in Iraq, and the recent legislation that he introduced in Congress to assure government loan transparency.

People were surprised and glad to see him and he emphasized that he is there to represent the needs of all of the people in the District and not just the interests of Democrats. His office is open to people needing government help in areas ranging from obtaining a flag flown over the Captol, to help with business loans, to appling for grants, and to provide input to Congress about pending legislation. He also has slots for internships and for Congressional Page opportunity.

Talk about "Eggs and Issues" - here is a sample of what passed over the morning grocery carts:

Kathy Castrovinci: "Student tuition's are high, families are finding it very difficult to send their kids to college and to afford college loans."

Ruthie Lawler: "Of course at my ripe old age I'm concerned about Social Security because that's my income."

Others spoke of healthcare and reminded Rep. Walz that Rochester's main industries are medicine and computer manufacturing.

The talk turned to DM&E and Tim Walz commented, "We believe that anytime Congress is going to issue a billion dollars or more to a private company that there should be transparency in the process." Walz has worked to acheive that and has introduced legislation to assure it thus raising the ire of DM&E railroad officials who feel that the rules of the loan game are being changed at the end of the process. But the peole of Rochester expressed concern about rail safety, the impact of huge coal trains pasing through the city and cutting off emergency routes for police, fire, and ambulance service.

When people spoke of the Iraq War it was often in personal terms and they spoke of their despair at bringing the war and of US involvement in an Iraqi civil war to a close in the mid-east.

Rep. Walz plans to keep on meeting with constituents each weekend across his District at local supermarkets until the spring season arrives. Any spare time that he has at home is also spent meeting with farmers as he gathers their input and discusses with them the upcoming Agriculture Bill that will impact mid-west farmers in ways large and small.