Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Guests of the Kane County Democrats golf outing weathered rain showers June 4. They later enjoyed a steak dinner and entertainment.
By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com
ELBURN — The Kane County Democrats welcomed golfers, politicians and supporters June 4 in Elburn for its annual golf outing.
The rain at this year’s event didn’t keep the golfers off the links, as Mark Guethle, chairman of the Kane County Democratic Central Committee reported 60 paid donations, the largest number yet.
“We really methodically gain ground every year. It’s always a step in the right direction,” said Guethle.
14th Congressional District candidate Dennis Anderson said he’s open to a debate with his incumbent Republican opponent, Randy Hultgren — if Hultgren will agree to it.
The Kane County Democrats welcomed Anderson at its annual golf outing June 4 in Elburn. Anderson explained he’d like a debate prior to this fall’s election, and talked about a variety of issues as he sat down with the Fox Valley Labor News.
Anderson, who says he’s an old school labor proponent, criticized Congress for stalling on jobs.
“I’m still concerned about jobs. This is an area which Congress hasn’t done anything,” he said. “If you go to the Republican House website, and you look at the 41 bills they’ve passed, there’s no jobs there.”
He said the Republicans have instead fed the public a steady stream of misdirections aimed at making the President and his party look bad.
“What’s happened, there’s a constant stream of scandals — Benghazi, health care, birthers, you name it. It’s distracting people,” he said.
Other chief concerns of his are net neutrality and the VA, which has taken the spotlight recently for woefully long wait times for care.
“People need to start asking their representatives: ‘Where are you on immigration? Where are you on jobs?’”
Anderson also commented on the June 3 proposal by the Obama administration to cut carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants by up to 30 percent by 2030, a move Republicans said will kill jobs and slash household income.
“A higher up in General Motors in the 1970s, upon the mandate of catalytic converters, said it could be the end of GM. Not true. Innovation gets around this, and we’re all better in the outcome. The handwriting’s on the wall, and it’s been on the wall, let’s cut back on carbon emissions,” he said. “People on the other side are fond of saying they’ll look after our children, and our children’s children. They need to actually do that.”
Anderson hopes to hold about 25 town hall meetings between now and October.