Walberg calls for reduction in government

TECUMSEH, Mich. —Calling himself “a redshirt freshman,” 7th District Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, says Republicans in Congress will have to stay on track and united in their efforts to reduce the size of government. Walberg, sent back to Congress in November after Democrat Mark Schauer’s two-year term, hosted a town hall meeting Saturday morning at the Tecumseh Community Center with about 40 people in attendance.

“As the House Speaker (John Boehner) said, ‘We are broke and we have spent ourselves into debt,’ ” Walberg said. “We haven’t set priorities and we are paying for it.”

The congressman told the gathering he was encouraged by the passion and fervor of the new Congress for shrinking government and bringing spending under control. However, he cautioned that discretionary spending is not the only place cuts should be made. Budget entitlements such as Social Security and defense must also be scrutinized to see where spending can be cut.

“In 50 years, will people look back and say that in 2011 we did what we had to do? Or will they say America continued its long slide into oblivion by doing the same thing?” Walberg said. “We have to get serious and look at every single area of the budget. We have to be willing to do what is necessary.”

He defended his support of a measure that cut a portion of the funding for such programs as the South Central Michigan Works. The agency’s budget was about $21 million in 2010, Walberg said. This measure would cut about $4.4 million, he said.

Walberg said about 130,000 people used SCMW’s services in fiscal 2009-10, according to the agency’s annual report for job training and other assistance, and 1,329 were able to find jobs. He said the government needs to get a better rate of return on its investment.

Sharon Wimple of Tecumseh took issue with Walberg’s contention.

“If there are no jobs for people to be placed, then what should we do?” she asked.

Walberg said the agency needs to look at what is working and what isn’t.

“We need to grow our economy and make sure South Central Michigan Works has jobs for training,” he said. “Maybe some of that money would be better back in taxpayers’ pockets and in businesses’ pockets so we can grow jobs.”

According to a story Friday in The Daily Telegram, the budget bill cuts $3.8 billion from Department of Labor-administered employment and job training programs, including eliminating all funding for the adult, dislocated worker and youth programs under the Workforce Investment Act.

According to figures supplied by SCMW spokeswoman Sarah Hartzler for Friday’s story, the agency’s total budget for fiscal year 2010-11 is almost $21 million. Of that, about $4.4 million, or 21 percent, is from the Workforce Investment Act.

According to SCMW’s 2009-10 annual report, of 8,133 clients enrolled in three programs with specific funding sources, 1,239 had found jobs when they exited the programs. Those funding sources were the Workforce Investment Act, Trade Act and various welfare reform programs.

Hartzler said the agency does not track the job-finding results for the many people who may use the agency’s services but who are not enrolled in specific programs for which records are kept.

The Middle East and Homeland Security were also topics for discussion. Walberg, a member of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the U.S. needs to finish the job in Afghanistan and to not just pull out of Iraq without making certain the country could sustain itself.

He was also critical of the Obama administration for not urging the Mexican government to take more serious action against drug cartels. He and several members of the audience called the cartels dangerous and a threat to U.S. security.

An energy policy that enables the U.S. to rely less on foreign oil is imperative, he said. Walberg said he favors drilling in areas now off-limits due to environmental concerns. Expanding coal mining and the use of nuclear power will go a long way toward establishing the country’s energy independence, he said.

“You can’t put up enough windmills or solar panels to generate enough energy to sustain us,” Walberg said.

Health care was briefly discussed. Walberg said Republican members of Congress will work to do away with what he called “Obamacare.”

He closed out the meeting by urging people to stay involved with their elected officials and make certain they follow through with promises to reduce the size of government.