McHenry addresses community's concerns

The people that crowded U.S. Rep. Patrick McHenry's Catawba County town hall meeting on Monday wanted answers to the personal problems they were facing.

Many at the meeting Monday wanted help with their homes, saying they'd asked for help from the Federal Housing Administration and not received any answers. Some were on the brink of foreclosure, though they'd never missed a house payment. Others wanted to know what McHenry planned to do about rising unemployment and cost of living. Some wanted answers to the new healthcare plan.

McHenry said he always hosts town hall meetings in every county in his district in August so he knows what his constituents want.

"What I see in Washington is the same thing I see here. They're making it worse," McHenry said of the Democrats who control the House and Senate. "The '01 and '03 tax cuts are expiring, adding uncertainty and preventing people from investing. The new financial regulations overhaul, the stimulus bill, I voted against all of it, because it's making it worse."

He said the tax cuts should be permanent, to keep money in Americans' pockets. Money should also be invested in education, particularly in community colleges and retraining programs, McHenry said.

He spoke harshly of the stimulus bill and the healthcare bill that was passed, saying he was glad he voted "no" to them. McHenry brought large bar graphs to the meeting, depicting the national deficit under Pres. George W. Bush, at $400 billion when McHenry was elected in 2004.

In 2009, under Pres. Barack Obama, the deficit is at $1.4 trillion after several bailouts. The charts depicted projected spending under Obama through 2020, going off the charts, even though the longest Obama could serve is through January 2017 if he's re-elected.

"We're spending more than we're taking in. this is dangerous," McHenry said. When China is propping up our debt, how much negotiating power do you think we have? I also reject favored trade deals with China. It's the wrong approach to remain strong and free."

Stephanie Howard asked McHenry how he felt about term limits and doing away with benefits, and whether Washington, D.C., would be better without career politicians.

McHenry said he didn't believe in term limits, saying if that was the case Sen. Jesse Helms' career and former Cong. Newt Gingrich would have had much shorter careers.

"I hope to have a service record like Jesse Helms. You know what you're getting," McHenry said, adding that the political process works as it should. "I believe in real competition, both in the private and political world. Hold me accountable for my votes, though."

He did not address congressional benefits.

Melissa Hefner asked McHenry if he was satisfied that Obama was a U.S. citizen. McHenry said yes, based on the records he's seen.

Jennifer Bandy said she's had to make personal cutbacks in her own home and living style, based on her job situation. She wanted to know what cuts McHenry thought the government should make.

McHenry said the first thing he would do is completely eliminate the U.S. Department of Labor, leaving that up to the individual states to control. He said he would also eliminate the National Endowment of the Arts.

"Not that I don't support the arts, but I would let the private sector handle it," he said.

McHenry said he would also eliminate federal employee pay raises, sell excess federal property, eliminate the hiring of new IRS agents, and cut Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae off from the federal government, saving an estimated $30 billion.

"The federal government has done an unprecedented amount of action in the last two years, with the federal stimulus, the energy bill, the regulatory spending bill. Has it fixed it?" he asked. "The government should pull back, cut taxes and let things balance out."

McHenry concluded the town hall meeting by saying the federal budget should be dealt with first with spending cuts, not more taxes. He also hopes the healthcare bill that was passed will be repealed or provisions will be replaced.