Pratt Tribune - Slattery Claims Mantle of Change

News Article

Pratt Tribune - Slattery Claims Mantle of Change

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jim Slattery offered voters a change in government or keeping the same policies as he spoke in Pratt Thursday afternoon.

A dozen area residents spent an hour with Slattery, a former congressman for 12 years and a Kansas gubernatorial candidate in 1994, as he shared his views on numerous issues including health care, the war in Iraq, fiscal responsibility, foreign oil, alternative fuels and other topics.

He said the number one priority for the government is to defend the county and the number two priority is financial management and he is not pleased with either. The country went from a $250 billion surplus to one of the biggest deficits in history.

The U.S. spends $700 billion every year on foreign oil and 70 percent of that goes into vehicles so Slattery wants to mandate automakers to produce cars that get 30 to 50 mpg and find a way to help low income get better fuel economy cars.

He wants to develop alternative fuel sources especially clean burning coal plants, nuclear energy and establish production tax credits for solar energy development. But he also wants more drilling needs to take place in Kansas and the U.S. should be drilling offshore, Slattery said.

In health care he wants the government to buy medicine in bulk and make it available at lower prices. He favors universal health care and getting health care for children in low-income families.

When people retire before they are eligible for Medicare and no longer covered by a company health insurance he wants them to be able to buy into Medicare and pay for it so they will at least have some insurance coverage, Slattery said.

The government has taken its eye off the ball in Afghanistan and Al Qaeda is rebuilding.

"I'm very worried about Afghanistan," Slattery said.

He wants us out of Iraq in five years and believes that Iraq will ask the U.S. to leave. He favors getting out in five years but under the right circumstances.

The U.S. needs to engage in diplomatic relations with Iran and establish an embassy. The country needs someone on the ground for better intelligence, Slattery said.

The unrest in the Middle East continues to be a problem and he wants the Europeans to get more involved but feels that they are sitting on the sidelines because of President Bush's policies.

The country has many problems and it will require bipartisan solutions.
"We have to put patriotism ahead of partisanship. Extreme partisanship has to end," Slattery said.

He accused his opponent Sen. Pat Roberts of voting for legislation that put the county $3 trillion in debt, he voted for the bridge to nowhere in Alaska, voted against fuel efficient vehicles and took $300,000 from the oil and gas industry.

Slattery said the law firm where he works won one of the historically largest judgments for a client who invented the Blackberry and wanted to enforce his patents. Slattery's portion made him "financially wealthy" and the money did not come from special interests as Robert's claims, Slattery said.

Source