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Senator Crapo conducts Town Hall meeting
October 11, 2014
U.S. Senator Mike Crapo attended a Town Hall meeting in Bonners Ferry Thursday morning, October 9. He had previously held a similar meeting the day before at the Idaho Forest Products lumber mill in Moyie Springs.

The audience at the Bonners Ferry meeting, held at Memorial Hall at the Fairgrounds, numbered around 35 people. That number included seven candidates for local political office, one of whom was a Democrat--Andrew Sorg, running for the Idaho House of Representatives, who braved the Republican ambience to sit in on the meeting.

Senator Crapo began his one hour meeting with remarks on the national debt, calling it one of our biggest pending problems. His belief is that spending is too high, and although he believes we need more revenue, he pointed out that does not mean he thinks taxes are too low. He believes additional needed revenue can be obtained by reforming the tax code and controlling spending.

The national debt "is a huge stifling effect on our economy," he said.

He also discussed his thinking that problems in a geographic area are often best addressed by people who live where the problem is, saying that people local to the problem generally have a better capacity for understanding the problem and possible solutions.

He feels that it is often possible to come up with solutions that are good for both the economy and the environment.

At the end of his opening remarks, he opened the meeting to questions. Questions from those in attendance included veterans' issues, such as veterans' benefits and problems in benefits and medical care. Questions were also asked regarding congressional funding bills and whether future bills might include provisions for another sequestration, and questions on immigration, the minimum wage, and on appointments to the Supreme Court.

Senator Crapo ended the meeting by encouraging those present not to give up on the political system, and pointed out that grass roots politics at the local level are very much alive. "I encourage you," he said, "to engage, not disengage."
 
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