U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., addressed concerns Monday regarding the economy and health care during a listening session with Dane County residents in Deerfield.
Feingold also announced the launch of a new section of his website designed to inform Wisconsin citizens about the newly passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The act is expected to bring about $3.5 billion in federal funds to the state in the coming months.
Feingold plans to continually update the website and include information regarding the benefits the state will receive from the act.
This includes a listing of tax relief efforts available to individuals and small businesses and the listing of various grant programs available for interested job training programs, law enforcement agencies, transit programs and housing development programs, among others.
Feingold said he hopes the website will educate the public on the act and have a positive effect on the state as a whole.
Although he voted for the stimulus package, Feingold said he does not believe the bill is perfect.
“It was not my idea of a good time,” Feingold said. “I don’t like voting for giant bills that aren’t paid for. This is a something … that we had to do to get the jobs going and get the economy out of the ditch.”
Feingold added though some of the programs in the bill will likely benefit the state, they should have been included in a separate bill.
During the session, residents had a chance to voice their concerns on a variety of issues on the state, national and international levels. Questions were brought up on a variety of topics ranging from lead-based paint restrictions to an increase in aid for African countries like Kenya.
According to Deerfield Village President John Mathews, the meeting was a success.
“I think there was some good conversation here, both supporting him and people against him,” Mathews said. “What I noticed from the session is that [Feingold] actually learns things from the people. Everybody out in the audience has different experiences, and I think he is able to sift through these experiences and get on to what’s more important.”
Mathews said he believes Feingold will take concerns back with him to Washington D.C., where they can be dealt with most effectively.
Even the Republican Party of Wisconsin, usually one of the senator’s major opponents, supported the idea of the listening sessions despite opposing the act.
“Transparency in government is always a good thing, especially when it is spending billions of the taxpayers’ hard-earned money,” said Republican Party spokesperson Kirsten Kukowski.
The meeting was part of the senator’s pledge to hold listening sessions in each of Wisconsin’s 72 counties during each year of his term. Tuesday’s session was the 17th meeting of 2009 and the 1169th meeting since 1993.
