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4/20/2009
Kagen hyperbole
Spillover from Wednesday’s Tea Party led to spillover in the planned accommodations at Rep. Kagen’s Appleton “Listening Session” Saturday. I didn’t do a good job of ascertaining the attendance – perhaps 80 to 100. Different from the 20 folks or so that may have been expected.
Attendees were truly concerned about our country’s state of affairs, though had differing points of view. At one point, an audience member thanked the congressman “for having the guts to be here today.” Another in the crowd calmly stated “It’s his job.”
Class Envy
Over and over Kagen referenced the bad guys from Wall Street or AIG bonuses or “punish[ing] all the crooks who took government money.”
Some in the audience pushed back at Rep. Kagen’s apparent “share the wealth” philosophy. They expressed that hard work should bring wealth – and not the threat that a huge portion of it must be shared with those less industrious. At that point, Kagen turned to the audience and asked: “How many of you would like to see a tax cut for those making $250,000 and more?”
I raised my hand and so did a good portion of the audience – a third to a half, by the estimate of some sitting closer to the rear of the room than I. Kagen was truly shocked at the response and took a moment to recover.
Behind in His Reading
Interesting that several folks in the crowd mentioned they didn’t appreciate being referred to as “terrorists.” Others reacted unknowingly, and more than once, Kagen was asked to explain what the reference meant. He didn’t have a clue – and walked all around it. (Here’s a concise article about last week’s Dept. of Homeland Security report, with a link to download the treatise.) Dr. Kagen did say at one point in his circular explanation that he was in Florida last week with his kids; I assumed that was meant to explain his lack of knowledge of the subject. ???
When pressed repeatedly to do his part to gain an apology from Homeland Security Director Napolitano or President Obama, Kagen finally said “I can get a statement out on Monday and send a message to the President.”
The Government is Your Friend
“Everyone should have a mortgage at 4%.” (What?)
“We’re making sure we have jobs in this country.” (Who’s “we?”)
“I’m against any form of socialized medicine…. At the same time, Medicare [works].” Later in the hour, Rep. Kagen was asked how he would address the stress in the Medicare system and he said the real problem was that current payment rates are not covering the overhead. But Medicare works? Kagen did recognize that costs are a problem – “How do we leverage down the price?”
The Economic Recovery Plan
First of all, Kagen says he read the whole 1,365 pages before he voted on it. I believe Dr. Kagen has a tendency toward hyperbole (shall we say…) – and a good portion of the audience had the same impression. This format was surely not one in which Kagen could be pinned down to the truth, but the best opportunity probably came when he was then asked to explain where then were the AIG bonus exemptions and why did he vote for them after he read it? Kagen went into a rambling explanation of why “no one had the chance to see the bill after Senator Dodd [added his changes].”
This really irks me.
When I called Kagen’s office asking him to vote against the bloated, inefficient, nearly $1 trillion bill, I asked the young man taking my call how the calls were going. “Oh, most feel as you do.” Or something like that. I’ve asked Kagen’s office to share what their logs say about the approximate percentage of calls suggesting a NO vote. I’ve asked repeatedly and cannot get an answer.
So his constituents object overwhelmingly, and still he votes for the bill. And then on Saturday, Kagen had the nerve to claim he voted against three bailouts. I don’t know which “bailouts” he was referencing (Kagen voted against the bank bailout bill last fall, and the auto bailout) but the “Recovery Plan” was a bailout he surely voted for – and continues to support unabashedly.
NBC26 contacted Rep. Kagen for comment on the Appleton Tea Party. His office referred the TV station to his past statements on the economic recovery act: “It allows us to transform our economy… and invests our hard-earned tax dollars right here at home… I am confident it will begin to put us on the path towards economic recovery.”
So Rep. Kagen, what was your takeaway from the nation’s Tea Parties – and indeed, the one in your own backyard that was, by all reports, attended by 2,500 of your constituents?
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Kagen is an empty suit. What do you expect?
Glenn (Mon Apr 20 08:04:26 2009)
Anyone that thinks that tea parties don't work should ask Gorbachev, Gandhi and MLKing.
Dohnal (Mon Apr 20 08:33:44 2009)
Kagen is an insult to all mannequins.
Paul (Mon Apr 20 09:35:25 2009)
While I dislike Kagen and agree with much of this article, I'm frustrated by the spurious argument that "tax cuts for the wealthy help create jobs." Very few executives (those making in excess of $250,000 a year) at Fortune 500 companies are in a position to add new jobs. Certainly very few of 100 plus who earned bonuses over $1 million each at Merrill Lynch ever had the authority to create a single job. Moreover my experience indicates that when the bottom line is challenged, job growth is restricted or even cut to preserve the salary and bonus increases for these "irreplaceable" executives. Perhaps the small business owner would be benefitted by tax relief thereby opening business growth and new employment opportunities. But you can bet that many of the large corporations like Bank of America, AIG, Goldman Sachs, Verizon, IBM, Procter & Gamble, etc. spend a dispropotionate amount of profit on executive compensation vis-a-vis new employment. It would be interesting to see data comparing the total number of new jobs created by small businesses versus large corporations and the total compensation numbers of those earning over $250,000 in each.
Dennis (Mon Apr 20 09:42:45 2009)
Of course he voted for it, as did MY senators and rep. Everyone in Congress is apparently more afraid of the international bankers lurking behind the scenes (who are the ones truly running the show) than of their constituents.
And if they can label enough people "right wing extremists" they'll be able to persecute us or at least ignore us and our inconvenient beliefs, as only statists will be left. That's one reason to grow the govt: to have a larger supply of pawns who will vote for you no matter what, because you (the govt) pay their salaries.
emily matthews (Mon Apr 20 12:51:34 2009)
On Saturday, Congressman Kagen declared that he "read the entire bill" before voting on it. Most in attendance scoffed at the comment. Here is some food for thought: In order for anyone to read the entire bill in 13 hours, they’d have to start the very minute they got it and read over 1.8 pages a minute every minute, without a break. They’ll be clocking in at a reading speed of 640.5 words per minute at that rate. If anyone needs a potty break, they’d better take the bill with them. Forget eating. Thanks to Sundries Shack.
Yeah Boy (Mon Apr 20 13:13:51 2009)
For those who want to tax the hell out of the rich, How many poor people have you worked for in your life? (Government workers need not respond.)
Jim Smits (Mon Apr 20 13:23:53 2009)
Kagen has that chronic virus that's going around at all levels of government, the main symptom being punish the so-called rich. It's truly an epidemic. The new 22-year-old mayor of Manitowoc already has it. When asked what he will do about the 12% unemployment in Manitowoc in a tv interview, the first thing out of his mouth was complaining about company heads getting bonuses while laying off other workers. We have got to fight this epidemic. Thanks for your Kagen update.
Soapbox Jill (Mon Apr 20 19:53:44 2009)
Jo,
I just read your article and it was dead on. I could not believe Kagen's face when he asked the question about taxing people making more than $250,000. The look on his face was priceless, he completely lost his train of thought. He says one way to eliminate something is to tax it, and in the next breath he says he wants to tax people over a certain income, thereby eliminating them. I am glad I went, it was an eyeopener for me.
Enlightened (Mon Apr 20 22:38:37 2009)
I attended the wRONg Kind "listening" session this afternoon in Sparta. Only about 40 or so there. It was kind of a stealth deal, as I heard about it from someone who said he got a phone call, but could not confirm over the weekend with a google search.
While there were the usual unfortunate souls with their hands out to government, I was surprised at the number of people who were aware of the DHS memorandum, and took offense. Kind claimed not to know. He also claimed to have read every page of the omnibus bill. Speed reader I guess. But he did vote against it. Most of the same folks opposing the DHS memorandum also thought that government was too big, too expensive, too intrusive.
I gave a brief history of the Federal REserve and urged the Congressman to co-sponsor HR 1207, the Audit the FED bill. Kind said he would look into it. As he went out the door, I told him, "we will be watching...."
I came away hopeful that next election, there might be REAL change.
Also went to a "Tea Party" in Freindship yesterday that had at least as many folks as Mr. Kind. Good to know that folks are concerned, and wanting to do something about it.
Ken Van Doren (Tue Apr 21 00:10:37 2009)
I read your comment about the Tea Party crowd estimated by many to have been about 2500, Jo.
I was there. I have no idea how many people were in attendance (it was a lot), but the PC reporter covering the event must have left 20 minutes before it started to have come up with their figure.
You think we might get the PC to print a correction of their article estimating the crowd at "several hundred."
If we can't even get some semblance of objectivity on a crowd estimate, is there really any hope that we will find it in a story.
I see no need for the PC to continue to have an "editorial" page. It's an unabashed editorial from beginning (page 1) to end (page 6).
Ray (Tue Apr 21 09:13:27 2009)
>>> "...tax cuts for the wealthy help create jobs"???
After the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy, just where are all those jobs they were supposed to create? In India and China.
I do think you guys need to start looking at politicians as politicians, and not as Republicans versus Democrats.
Jack Lohman (Tue Apr 21 12:13:06 2009)
I was at the thompson center on Sat 4-20 and Kagen said his mother was on Senior Care for her meds. Kagens father was a Dr. also, and I would like to know how she qualifies for Senior Care when my husband and I have never had a combined income of more then $42,000. and do not qualify for senior care
bluerose43 (Wed Apr 22 15:14:34 2009)
I'm with you, Bluerose43. My mother-in-law is signed up for SeniorCare, has a very modest income, and has a significant pay-down (I think they call it - ? - like a deductible) before SeniorCare kicks in. One of us should look into that.
Jo (Wed Apr 22 15:44:43 2009)
Kagen,is a on top of his game, sit in the hot seat and then see what you come up with, he is trying to do his best so do not underestimate his course of action, people sit and have so much to say but who have you helped on your own to make 1 person have a better life if its none then you have no room to speak,,
XP T Billion (Thu Apr 23 17:40:15 2009)
Jo -
It is funny that Kagen can say that “It allows us to transform our economy… and invests our hard-earned tax dollars right here at home…"
The funds that some wind energy companies received in all of this pork are being used to transition manufacturing from Wisconsin to CHINA.
Thank you Mr. Kagen... your vast knowledge of your constituency and the bills you 'read' are the hope and change we thought we would get.
Matt Henning (Fri Apr 24 15:39:55 2009)
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