Crowd packs BIGGBY in Hartland for Town Hall Meeting With Congressman

U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers spent more than an hour Saturday talking with a crowd of more than 60 on a range of issues that included the economy, health care and how to balance federal budget at in Hartland.

Rogers, a Republican who represents the Hartland area as part of the 8th congressional district, outlined his views while hearing the concerns, questions and opinions from residents. Here are some of the highlights:

• HEALTH CARE: Rogers said the country needs to reverse course from the health care reform Democrats approved last year because it's the latest example of how government will hurt small business with excessive regulation. "What this health care reform has done I believe is the the single most destruction of our ability to have entrepreneurs take chances and open businesses and keep what they earn," he said. "We're destroying the very thing that invented the largest middle class in the world." Rogers says a more free market approach that allows people to buy insurance across state lines like with other forms of insurance would control costs better.
• MEDICARE: Rogers said commitments to current recipients must be honored but reform is necessary for the future because it's not affordable, citing how current recipients pay about four times what they paid in through taxes. He also said recent changes by Democrats would lead to more rationing of care to control costs. "I don't know why seniors aren't more angry and more fired up and more charged about how they fundamentally changed Medicare with everybody today," he said. "For the future, we need to find some ways to change it."
• EDUCATION: A woman asked about protecting education, the Hartland School District had to make this week. Rogers said the federal government doesn't play a large funding role in K-12 education. "The way we fix that problem is we fix the economy," he said.
• FEDERAL BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT: Rogers supported the idea, saying similar state mandates enforce the fiscal discipline the national government needs. "If we don't have a balanced budget amendment, it's not going to happen."
• SUBSIDIES: One man said after World War II the country had higher taxes and lower subsidies — something the country should return to. "I think that needs to be rebalanced and it needs to be rebalanced now," he said. Rogers said he supported scaling down agriculture subsidies, such as ethanol. He said support of the oil industry could end if there were fewer restrictions on companies on where they drill. "We could do away with subsidies completely if we let them drill where they need to drill."

While the issues were serious, the mood also was mostly friendly. Rogers evoked laughter after a baby cried when he said: "I'm upset, too. She just saw her share of the deficit."

Afterward, Paul Aghababian of Hartland said he agreed with Rogers on most issues except how to balance the budget.

"We can't just cut government spending," said the 50-year-old. "Right now the very wealthy need a higher tax bracket. I didn't use to think that at all, but I do now."

Janet Kissling of Hartland, 48, said she supports Rogers' views, especially on making health care more free-market driven.

"I was very blessed to hear that he is going to stand strong in what I feel needs to take place to order to get our country back on track," she said.