Thursday Sept. 4th 2008, Nebraska Senatorial Candidate Scott Kleeb visited a crowd of nearly 30 democrats, republicans and independents at the Harrison House Hotel in Harrison, Nebraska.
     He spoke a bit about why he got involved in this political process, saying that the ordinary conversations people were having about the issues were not being heard in Washington DC. “We can do better than what we have been given.” ,he said. “We can do better on energy. We can do better on health care. We can do better by investing in education and making sure we are not punishing our schools but actually helping our schools and our teachers.”
     When asked about subsidies for ethanol Kleeb said, “Ethanol is important in the short term and going forward in order to build the infrastructure for cellulosic ethanol and biofuels of all sorts.” He further proposed programs that would offset the cost of grain for livestock producers. Kleeb was critical of his opponent for twice urging the President to veto the farm bill even though it included 1billion dollars for research and development of alternative energy sources.
     On health care Kleeb said that health insurance should be portable so that insurance companies are more invested in an individuals health and would thereby provide more incentive for preventative care. He added that denying insurance to someone because of a “preexisting condition is a form of discrimination and we don’t believe in discrimination in this country. We should not punish people for getting sick. Every person should have access to the same health care that a member of Congress has.”
     There were brief discussions on other issues but the bottom line for Mr. Kleeb was “If you are happy with the way things are going, vote for my opponent. If you are happy with where you are right now, you know what you will get from him.”
For more information on Scott Kleeb and his stand on the issues visit www.scottkleeb.com
     Thank you to Ray and Meredith, at the Harrison House Hotel, who served a hearty beef stew accompanied by fresh vegetables that was enjoyed and appreciated by all. Thank you also to all who attended this non-partisan town hall meeting.

Debbie Courtney
Secretary - Sioux County Democratic Party