Rathje embarks on tour of region 5/16/2010

RATHJE, HOFFMAN, GETTEMY, MILLER-MEEKS, REED, LOEBSACK, KELLEN

Posted By: Mistina Christner (email)
Date: 6/28/2018 at 12:01:42

Source: Burlington Hawkeye 5/16/2010

Rathje embarks on tour of region
Burlington stops show city's flood damage
By Christinia Crippes

On his 22-city, and counting, door-to-door tour of the 2nd District, Republican congressional candidate Steve Rathje has met and shaken hands with countless Iowa residents.
In listening to those would-be constituents, the Cedar Rapids businessman has regularly heard the refrain, 'I want my job back.'
What he encountered in his early stops in Burlington on Saturday afternoon was an altogether different concern. In knocking on business doors on Jefferson Street, Rathje saw the familiar signs of a flood-ravaged community still reeling from its losses.
"This will give you an idea of what small businesses put up with," said Dan Hoffman, a co-owner of Antiques to Be on Jefferson Street and an out-spoken conservative.
Hoffman led Rathje down into his shop's basement, which was still splattered with mud and filled with now-junk pieces of furniture. The county was hit with 4 to 6 inches of rain during a 12-hour period late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Rathje embarked on his tour of the 2nd District specifically to talk issues with constituents who otherwise wouldn't make it out to see him. He said it's his responsibility to learn about each of the candidates vying for the seat.
"Between the flag waving and cheer leading, it feels great, but you have to ask yourself, 'What did I learn?'" said Rathje, who has a five-tiered plan on his website about what he would do if elected.
Rathje will face fellow Republicans Rob Gettemy, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Christopher Reed in the June 8 primary before one of them will go on to challenge the current U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-2nd District.
Like his neighbors, Hoffman doesn't blame just the rain but also the newly constructed wastewater equalization tanks that are meant to prevent sewage and storm-water from being dumped into the Mississippi River during periods of heavy rainfall.
Hoffman, who did not have flood insurance due to its price and until recently a lack of necessity, said the issues with basement flooding did not start happening until two years ago.
"It puts raw sewage in (the river) once in a blue moon. Instead, they'll just wipe out all the small businesses downtown," Hoffman said.
The federal requirement to separate storm and sewer systems was just one of the many regulations imposed by the federal government that frustrates Hoffman and Rathje.
Both agreed health insurance is a state issue, which for Hoffman is evidenced by the aid his wife received from the state when she suffered from cancer.
"If the federal government is involved, every time they throw your money and my money into it, it goes awry," Rathje said.
He wants to put Americans back to work and bring American companies home by reducing taxes, limiting regulations and further restricting organized labor.
He said as a congressman he would not get the federal government involved in the individual issues of Hoffman's business, which he co-owns with Dave Kellen, but that he would like to be aware of them.
Rathje said the federal government's responsibilities are limited to federal infrastructure issues and national security.
"I'm of the opinion that we can prevent that (2008 Flood in Cedar Rapids) from happening again up there," Rathje said. "But it's going to take leadership."