To the Editor:
Defeated Congressman James Oberstar still hasn’t said word one to Congressman-elect Chip Cravaack. He has done nothing to assist the transition, zero, zip, nada and is in fact obstructing Cravaack’s desire to field constituent needs. Other outgoing congressmen are conscientiously turning over their constituent files to the incoming freshmen, but not Oberstar.
Like a petulant child, he has decided to shred most of the case files, forcing constituents in need of assistance to begin at square one with incoming Cong. Cravaack. How petty.
I’ve no doubt that Oberstar is wishing he had held the town hall meeting Cravaack and several others had requested at Oberstar’s office in 2009. After making them wait over two hours, they were told Oberstar did not have time for them. He did, however, have time to meet with special interest lobbyists that day, and that launched the energetic and successful Cravaack campaign that defeated a 36-year dynasty of pork and privilege.
Maybe Oberstar should look for a new job in — “like Malaysia.” — Scott Martin, Hinckley
Mr. Martin is, according to Mrs. Martin, one of Cong., Cravaack’s drivers. He is in D.C. now for the swearing-in ceremony. I’m curious why Mr. Martin has a different point of view than former Sen. Grams, owner of our Little Falls radio station, re: the cooperation between the two Congressional offices. Sen. Grams said, on the air, that everything is going well. Who is correct?
Also, given that the 2009 meeting had no appointment, why does any group of people presume, just because they gather in front of a Congressman’s office, that they can be fit into the schedule? Was the Congressman even there? Additionally, re: Cong. Cravaack’s position that he would like to repeal current health care reforms. I’d like the same kind of health program that allowed Cong. Cravaack to earn $79.000/yr as a “house-husband” when he collected disability for his sleep apnea. A really nice income to apply to one’s run for a Congressional seat. Has the Congressman decided he will decline the Congressional health care option as many others who ran on the Tea Party ticket? It might be especially easy to do so, since the Congressman’s wife is an executive with a well-known pharmaceutical company.
So, at the end of the day, we small constituents want to know who has our back. Did the files get transferred properly or not? This is what I expect a newspaper to find out, regardless of their somewhat obvious political bias. I will be the first person to say that Cong. Oberstar’s office did the wrong thing if that is the case. Please do the necessary research to set the record straight.