(The following story by Chris Faulkner appeared on the Daily Democrat website on December 18. Jeff Kurtz is Chairman of the BLET’s Iowa State Legislative Board.)
FORT MADISON, Iowa — They say politics is all local. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t differences as to who should pay those local politics.
Former Lee County Supervisor and Fort Madison mayor Joe Kowzan asked Sen. Joe Biden (D-Delaware), one of many Democrats running for president: “What role can the federal government play in fighting the war on drugs?”
Biden made a southeast Iowa swing Friday and visited about a dozen Fort Madison residents at the Iowan Motor Lodge.
Kowzan told Biden that Lee County residents approved in October a bond referendum to help fund a new jail. Yet arrests for drug-related crimes are still on the rise. Is that a county problem, a state problem, or would Biden, if elected president, use federal funds to help communities in their struggle with the issue?
Biden authored a crime bill years ago that put 100,000 extra policemen on patrol and paid for various crime prevention measures. But President George Bush canceled the program, Biden said, on the grounds that “crime is uniquely a local issue.”
Biden disagreed and said he is already working on a sequel – Crime Bill II – that would again help local communities.
“In 2001 the federal government gave $2.1 billion to states toward (fighting) crime, such as for new jails, additional cops and more prosecutors,” Biden said. “That figure is down to $350,000.”
Biden’s new bill would contribute $10 billion that could be used for additional police officers or paying for overtime or even prevention.
Biden said that the focus on crime should be on all three aspects of the problem: “jails, prevention and treatment.”
As for President Bush’s claim that crime is uniquely local, Biden countered that in the war on drugs, “Where are the drugs coming from? They’re coming across the border. Can you all send cops down to the border?”
The next question from the audience came from Jeff Kurtz, the legislative representative for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and the Teamsters Rail Conference. He does the political and safety work for the 800-plus members around the state.
Kurtz’ concern was the topic of climate change, but he already had a solution in mind. He said high-speed rail would make a definite impact and wondered if Biden would promote that as an alternative.
Biden apparently was a kindred spirit of rail transportation and assured the audience that this was not a planted question.
“I commute 250 miles a day on high-speed rail,” Biden said. “I’m Mr. Amtrak.”
Biden proposes an interstate high-speed rail service similar to the interstate highway system.
“One mile of one lane of I-80 costs $22 million,” Biden said. “One mile of I-95 (on the East Coast) holds more traffic and costs $41 million.” By contrast, “One mile of high-speed rail costs $1 million.
“You can fit more people on a rail car and you’ll be taking 50 automobiles off the road. Rail uses 1/50th of the cost (of a car) in terms of energy consumption.”
Biden said the reason why railroads haven’t been used more in the past is because of special interest groups, most notably the airline industry. “They get $350 million a year to go where no one wants to go,” Biden said, qualifying that by saying that there is not enough business to support a commercial flight. He said people don’t like the idea of subsidizing railroads, yet the airline industry gets subsidies to fly to sparse locations.
One couple attending the meeting had made up their minds before- hand to support Biden based on the Democrat debate Wednesday and they continued to be impressed after hearing him in person.
“I like what he had to say in the debate,” Joe Horner said before Biden arrived. “It’s something we get in Iowa that most people don’t get: the chance to see a candidate in person.”
His wife Tracy said, “He’s bright, intellectual and quick-witted. He’s experienced. We’re privileged to get to see him.”
The Horners’ main concern is about jobs going overseas. “We’re looking for someone who will change our economy,” Tracy said.
But in general, Joe said, “We’re looking for an overall leader.”