On Tuesday, January 31, 2012, the Ideas in Motion Media staff was happy to welcome Congressman Pete Visclosky into the office for his second interview with site Publisher Chris Mahlmann to talk about a wide variety of issues.
We see Congressman Visclosky out in the community a ton. When he is not out in Washington, D.C., he is around the region, hosting town halls, or stopping in at churches and other public places to get a sense for what is happening in the region and to communicate what is happening in our country’s legislative office.
“I do think for a representative government, it’s important for me to stay in touch and, secondly, for the 710,000 people I represent to stay in touch with me. Sometimes that’s literally touching you.”
Visclosky learned from his father, who was also in the political arena, about the old-school nature of the boots-on-the-ground communication with his constituents, but he also recognizes a change in how many in his district communicate.
“People communicate differently today,” he explained. “People communicate through the internet, though Facebook, through Twitter. It is my responsibility to reach out to individuals and hear back from them in that media.”
At the beginning of the year, Visclosky held a slew of town forums throughout Northwest Indiana with the hopes of communicating with his constituents about what was happening in Washington D.C., along with addressing concerns over what was happening in Northwest Indiana. He also recognized that, while he held 24 town forums in a week, spanning five counties, there may have been citizens who were not able to attend. For the first time this year, he and his team were able to video record one of the forums and post it online, making it available to anyone who wanted to learn about what was going on.
“Some people, based on work schedule, illness, or child care duties - whatever it may be - just couldn’t make it,” the congressman explained. “If nothing else, they could see what that presentation looked like.”
While social media has made it easy for Congressman Visclosky to hear from and reach out to many, he also recognizes his responsibility to “try and hear those who I don’t hear from”, like his constituents on Medicaid and those who are just trying to make it through the day.
Topics like Medicaid and Medicare are often contentious topics among citizens throughout the country, not to mention those who represent those citizens. With so much traditional news coverage centering on debates on these contentious topics (and many, many others), it gives some credence to the perspective that many politicians spend most of their time arguing, rather than actually getting something done. But, for the most part, that’s not actually the case.
Visclosky remarked, “I draw a distinction between ‘media’ and ‘news’.”
The current news climate often distorts or, in some cases, just flat-out does not check facts on a number of topics, most notably in the economic arena. Often times, shows on news networks will not check facts on claims that reporters and pundits exclaim, leading to misinformation and, in a lot of ways, a hardening of political opinions based on that misinformation.
“At least get facts out, and then we can disagree and have an argument,” Visclosky explained. "That has been disruptive of the political process. If that’s your only [news] source, then you would think that’s all we do all day: fight each other, argue, and mud wrestle.”
That’s not actually the case, as Visclosky points out. He would know too, being a member of the Appropriations Committee, where deals between parties happen all of the time. The committee is in charge of funding the federal government.
"We passed, this year, with a Republican House, a Democratic Senate, and a Democratic President, all 12 of our bills, negotiated,” he explained. “The total of amount of money is one trillion dollars. That is not an inconsequential number.”
There are members of Congress who get along and work together and may not agree all of the time. That said, Visclosky acknowledges there are some sharp divisions among those in the House and the Senate, and finding common ground on has been a tough feat as of late.
“There are some centers of gravity to build on,” Visclosky said. “All hope is not lost.”
While things can get tough sometimes in Washington, there are some battles and issues within the State of Indiana as well. While Congressman Visclosky works with everyone he can at those levels, there are some elected officials within the state and regional levels the congressman works with in particular on issues in the region.
“We now have Mayor Snyder in Portage, who happens to be a Republican they tell me,” he said with a chuckle. “We’ve had a long-standing relationship with Mayor Costas in Valparaiso (another Republican).”
With Portage and Valparaiso being two of the larger communities in his district, each electing a Republican mayor, he has not found the difference in political party to be an impediment to getting projects done that benefit the communities on the federal, state, or regional level.
“Perception does lag reality,” he explained. “People are getting along and cooperating to a greater degree than before. Do we have farther to go? Sure. But there is more of that going on.”
Because his district includes areas beyond Valparaiso and Portage, and as the LIFE Networks expand out to areas like LaPorte County and the rest of Northwest Indiana, we asked the congressman to share some of the highlights on what else is out there in Northwest Indiana.
He highlighted the expansion of the First District, his district. It now includes all of Porter County, Lake County, and has expanded further into LaPorte County.
“We have our own identity. Each community can take joy and pride in its individuality,” he said. “But we’re also part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Chicago’s economy is larger than Switzerland’s. We want to maintain our own identity, but it is time we truly make an effort to take advantage of that economy and build a job base here.”
Part of that metropolitan area includes Gary, and there is currently a lot of optimism associated with a rise in economic development in the city. With a new mayor in their community and a reinvigorated sense of putting Gary on the region’s shoulders, the optimism surrounding the resurgence is at a recent high.
“I think this is the real deal,” he stated. “I think Mayor Freeman-Wilson is a very bright individual. She wants to be the Mayor of Gary. That sense of dedication leads me to believe she will be successful.”
Before he left, Congressman Visclosky wanted to make region residents aware of some across-the-board cuts happening at the end of the year, the expiration of the Bush Tax Cuts in July, and more information about the budget. If you’d like to learn more about Congressman Pete Visclosky and his stance on the issues facing the region, Indiana, and the country as a whole, visit his website, follow him on Twitter, and “Like” his official Facebook page.
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