September 4, 2008 Newsletter

In this issue:

Minnesota's Crucial Role

Jim Oberstar and Al Franken Discuss Job Creation, Transportation Investment

Steelworkers Reach 4-year Agreement with Cleveland Cliffs

Candidate Spotlight: Lisa Fobbe, Senate District 16

Oberstar Attends Democratic National Convention

Congressman Oberstar joined Democrats in Denver last week to lay out the priorities of the Democratic party and create a clear contrast between the forward-looking policies of Democrats and the past seven years of Republican rule.

In his acceptance speech, Presidential nominee Barack Obama made the choice in November abundantly clear: “For over two decades, John McCain has subscribed to that old, discredited Republican philosophy - give more and more to those with the most and hope that prosperity trickles down to everyone else. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society, but what it really means is - you’re on your own. Out of work? Tough luck. No health care? The market will fix it. Born into poverty? Pull yourself up by your own bootstraps - even if you don’t have boots... Well, it’s time for us to change America.”

The other speeches at the convention varied from national security to healthcare and the minimum wage, but all of the speakers hammered issues involving the American working class and gave voters the choice between moving forward and more of the same.

“Our party really shined on the national stage last week,” Oberstar said. “Democrats across the country are ready to end what has been a disastrous economic policy in place under the Bush Administration and start putting the working-class first,” Oberstar said after the convention.

“We will provide affordable healthcare for every American, pass middle- and low-income tax relief, and create thousands of good-paying jobs by investing in our infrastructure and developing a new “green-collar” sector of the American workforce - and we’ll do this with Barack Obama and Joe Biden in the White House,” Oberstar said.

Oberstar was also impressed with the overall presentation and organization of the events.

“I appreciate the months of planning that went into this convention and thousands of people who worked around the clock to put it all together. It laid out before millions of Americans the choice this November between progress and the status quo.”

Upcoming Events

For the most up-to-date list of upcoming events, be sure to check out our events page at www.oberstar.org/events

September 13: Chisholm Fire Days Parade, lineup at 12:00 p.m. If you would like to walk with Congressman Oberstar in the parade, please contact campaign manager Blake Chaffee at (218) 723-8813.

September 14: Bike Ride for Peace at 1:00 p.m. Meet at the Willard Munger Inn, 7408 Grand Ave. in Duluth. Join Congressman Oberstar for a bike ride at this fundraiser to benefit the Men as Peacemakers organization. For more information, contact Blake Chaffee at (218) 723-8813

Jim Oberstar and Al Franken Discuss Job Creation, Transportation Investment

Congressman Jim Oberstar and DFL-endorsed U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken ended a two day swing through Northeastern Minnesota this past Monday with a press event at Duluth’s Labor Picnic. The pair spent Sunday and Monday celebrating Labor Day and talking transportation and infrastructure investment with Labor supporters. Franken also unveiled a $3 billion infrastructure initiative he says will create jobs, grow our economy, and make badly-needed investments in infrastructure.

Oberstar, chair of the House Transportation Committee, outlined the importance of investing in infrastructure projects. “Creating a more efficient transportation system will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, move our people and goods to market, and create good paying jobs right here at home,” Oberstar said.

Franken’s proposal includes $2 billion in immediate funding for roads and begins to address the 590,750 structurally deficient bridges on our nations roadways. Another $1 billion would be used to fund Oberstar’s Multi-Modal Transportation Plan, including high speed rail, light rail, and buses.

“Today, I’m calling for a new stimulus package, one that is specifically designed to create jobs and bolster the middle-class economy while at the same time doing something our economy badly needs -- rebuilding our infrastructure and investing in new transportation options,” Franken said. “Each billion dollars we spend on transportation and infrastructure creates as many as 47,000 new jobs, so my plan would create up to 150,000 new, good-paying middle-class jobs. And at the end of the day, we’ll have repaired our roads and bridges.”

Oberstar also made the case for Minnesotans to send Franken to Washington. Citing a slim majority in the U.S. Senate has led to gridlock.

“The filibuster in the U.S. Senate is holding up our bridge replacement and reconstruction legislation,” Oberstar said “the way to fix that is to get people in the U.S. Senate who will vote for the people’s agenda. I’m proud to support Al Franken; he understands the importance of investing in infrastructure and in the lives of working families. We can count on him to be a leader in the Senate.”

Steelworkers Reach 4-year Agreement with Cleveland Cliffs

In a decision with far-reaching ramifications for steelworkers at the Cleveland Cliffs facilities on the Iron Range, the United Steelworkers and Cleveland Cliffs have reached a tentative agreement that has relieved many and given both sides reason to be happy.

From the Associated Press

USW District 11 Director Bob Bratulich called the agreement “the best contract we’ve ever negotiated for iron ore miners.”

“It follows the economic pattern established in recent negotiations with U.S. Steel and ArcelorMittal,” he said. “And for the first time, we were successful in removing the cap on retirees health care.”

The union is withholding further details until summaries have been printed and meetings have been held to inform the membership.

The tentative agreement was reached late Sunday night and a contract extension was signed Monday, pending ratification of the agreement.

When ratified, the contract will cover USW members employed at the following Cleveland Cliffs facilities: Hibbing Taconite and United Taconite in Minnesota, and Empire and Tilden in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Candidate Spotlight: Lisa Fobbe

Next in our series of 8th District DFL candidate profiles is Lisa Fobbe running in a special election for a State Senate seat vacated by Betsy Wergin, who was appointed to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

Candidate: Lisa Fobbe
Senate District: 16, Cities: Onamia, Princeton, Big Lake, and surrounding area.
--Not sure what district you're in? Just visit the Minnesota District Finder on the State Legislature's official website.

Lisa Fobbe of Zimmerman is running for the Minnesota Senate out of an obligation she feels to give back to her community.

“In my family growing up, it wasn’t an option to contribute and give back to your community - it was an obligation. I was raised with the notion that ‘you’ve got to step up to the plate and give back,’” Fobbe said.

Fobbe’s experience with education funding gives her the tools and understanding of state government to be a strong advocate for her Central Minnesota district in St. Paul. The Minnesota native moved back to her home state eleven years ago and discovered that early childhood education, a priority of hers, was only a blip on the radar.

“We just weren’t giving early childhood education the kind of investment that I felt it needed,” Fobbe said, so she ran for the school board and got elected. Her work on the school board distinguished her as a leader. She then continued on to the Minnesota School Board Association where she was involved with state legislation and education statewide.

“Education is one of my main issues in this campaign. It is a considerable part of the state budget and anyone running for the State Senate needs to have a good background on education funding.”

Another of Fobbe’s priorities is healthcare. She has had the unique experience of seeing the debate from both sides, the provider side - her husband is a physician - and the patient side, as a mother.

“I have seen how healthcare costs have affected the people of our community,” Fobbe said. “We need to look at different ways of making healthcare more accessible and we’re going to have to involve the insurance companies in the discussion.”

“In the end, this election is less about me and more about my community; it’s about healthy communities that have access to quality healthcare; it’s about education funding to give our family’s children all the opportunities available in a 21st Century economy; it’s about working with Congressman Oberstar to create jobs and invest in infrastructure to reduce the transit time and cost of the commutes many of our neighbors take to the Cities each day.”

“In the end,” she said, “it’s about giving the every person in this district a true voice in St. Paul. No one can do it alone but together we can and will make a difference.”

For more information, visit Lisa Fobbe’s campaign website at www.fobbeforsenate16.com.