By By Tray Smith
United States Congressmen Jo Bonner, R-Mobile, visited Flomaton on Wednesday in order to answer constituent's questions about the current workings of the House of Representatives.
"We can measure the way people feel about Congress through the polls," Bonner said. "Right now, they tell us that about 14 percent of the American people approve of the job we are doing. I am in that majority 86 percent who believe we can do better."
Bonner criticized Democratic legislation that would increase taxes, reiterated his opposition to a gas-tax hike and reaffirmed his support for our mission in Iraq. Bonner also said he believes there will be significant changes made to the No Child Left Behind law should it be reauthorized later this year.
"Alabama State Superintendent of Education Joe Morton came up to Washington and visited with U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings and he got the impression that she is very open to some of his suggestions and the suggestions we have heard from other superintendents throughout the state," Bonner said.
Bonner commended Governor Riley for his work on expanding Highway 113, and said he appreciated the work members of Flomaton's municipal government put into the project. He maintained his commitment to helping Flomaton realize its dream of a new library complex. When considered alongside other government projects going on in the Flomaton area, Bonner said library would help enable residents take advantage of the rapid economic growth sweeping throughout Alabama.
"ThyssenKrupp is one of the largest economic development projects going on in this country," Bonner said. "When combined with the possibility of getting a portion of the tanker contract and the construction of a new racetrack in Mobile, the potential for growth in our area is really amazing."
Bonner said he did not believe there would be enough votes to override the President's veto should future stem cell research measures be brought up, promised to look into measures that would help senior citizens finance home health care assistance and said he did not believe government-run health care systems such as Canada's should be emulated in the United States.