October 28, 2016
By Doug May
SOAR Chapter 7-34-2
Granite City, Illinois
Many Americans have found it far too easy to become callous about the fact that real lives are being affected when partisan politics obstructs progress in D.C.
CJ Baricevic, Democratic candidate for the Illinois 12th Congressional District, reminded the Steelworkers Organization of Active Retirees (SOAR) who were part of a crowded auditorium at Lindenwood University in Belleville, Illinois, host of the only debate between those who will represent the metro-east before the Nov. 8 election, “No matter how complicated, we need to address everyone’s daily lives, see what they are confronted with and how their problems could be much better served if we had a strong advocate in D.C. opposed to continuing the partisan gridlock. People are tired of all the excuses and a lack of progress in Southern Illinois,” he said.
Whether the topic is addressing steelworkers who feel they are being misrepresented, or those workers who have a sense of being left behind, Mike Bost, the current Representative for the 12th, who voted to turn Social Security into a voucher system, and continues to vote in favor of Fast Track Authority for another unfair trade deal, TPP, he is seriously out of touch with the working people in this District.
The debate panel asked the candidates about the failing pension plans for the Mineworkers and Teamsters possibly becoming a precedent for other unfunded pension plans if Federal measures were invoked. Baricevic, said, “It is inexcusable that Bost talks out of both sides of his mouth while claiming to be concerned about the United Mineworkers’ pensions but dismisses the Illinois teacher’s pension shortfalls as nothing more than a Democratic Party problem.”
When one of the three panelists asked what can be done to stem younger people from leaving the state as opportunities are diminishing, Baricevic first suggested, “One way to stop people from leaving is stop voting for more unfair trade laws as Bost did when he voted in favor of Fast Track Authority for TPP. We have seen 4,000 jobs leave Southern Illinois in 2015 alone. We also need Congress to recognize that students are saddled in unreasonable debt as we work towards a transitional economy,” he said.
Student debt is something Baricevic said he knows about first-hand. “If I’m fortunate enough to get elected, I might be the only member of Congress with student loan debt,” as he brought the near capacity crowd to a non-partisan moment of laughter.
“It’s no fun. I’ve always advocated for fair, though not free, tuition,” he added. “We can close corporate and mega-wealthy tax loopholes for people like Bost’s buddy Governor Bruce Rauner. Bost voted to freeze Pell Grants for 10 years.”
Barecivic repeated, “Constituents are tired of excuses. They want a stronger advocate to remind big business that Southern Illinois is a great place to live and work.” Baricevic reminded the near capacity crowd in the auditorium that, “Residents all over the District want Congress to get things done, move forward into a transitional economy, investing in infrastructure. They want a stronger advocate who is not beholden to the 55% of untraceable Citizens United money funneled into Bost’s campaign. This dark money is an embarassment to our democratic process."
A notable reference that surely raised the brows of even Bost supporters, Barecivic pointed out that Bost is ranked by the independent website GovTrack.us as the most, the most, partisan member of the Illinois delegation when it comes to co-sponsoring a bill.
Regarding the panel’s question about Medicare and Social Security, Bost defaulted to the party line stating, “We can’t go down the road of Obamacare”, while Baricevic reminded the audience, “Money allocated to fund programs should be properly allocated. We can open up a stream of revenue by finally addressing equal pay for women. And we must ensure the best and the brightest that they have a voice in D.C.”