Congressman Gardner visits Glacier View, talks Social Security and Medicare

Freshman Congressman Cory Gardner spoke at a town hall meeting at Glacier View’s Mountain Meetin’ Place as the guest of Larimer County Commissioner Lew Gaiter.

Gaiter holds a monthly meeting with citizens, normally at the Red Feather Lakes library. This time he moved to meeting to a larger venue to host the larger audience expected for Gardner.

Outside the meeting, two sheriff’s deputies visually screened attendees. Deputy Earl Fawcett, when asked if the politicians had requested his services, replied “I don’t want an Arizona in my territory.”

Most of the questions from the standing-room only crowd of about 60 people related to the themes of jobs and protecting Social Security and Medicare.

Gardner earned some applause for his stand on increasing the Social Security income cap.

When he stated that “increasing taxes does not create jobs,” several citizens roared back, “yes, it does,” referring to the prosperity and balanced budget under the Clinton administration.

The Glacier View area is normally considered a Republican bastion, but Democrats were amply represented in the crowd. One Democrat engaged in a short debate with Gardner and loudly announced “You don’t stand for anything,” then walked out of the meeting.

Gardner touted his successes in introducing three bills into Congress since his inauguration on January 5. The first bill provides for a Small Business Savings Account that defers taxes on savings intended for reinvestment in the business.

The second bill, referred to as the Government Accountability Act, requires congressional committees to investigate instances of duplicate programs or agencies to root out inefficiencies. The third, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act, seeks to streamline drilling permits on Alaska’s Outer Continental Shelf. This bill has been passed by the House.

Gardner earned another round of applause for his concluding remarks. He stated, “This is the first generation of Americans who believe that their children will have a lower standard of living than they do. I will not allow that to happen on my watch.”

Congressman Gardner is a freshman member in the U.S. House of Representatives for Colorado’s 4th Congressional District. He serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Power, the Subcommittee on Environment and Economy and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations.