U.S. Rep. Robin Kelly spent more than an hour at Homewood Village Hall Saturday, the guest of Mayor Richard Hofeld at his weekly “meet the mayor” session.
the proposed community
science center to U.S. Rep.
Robin Kelly, left, while his
wife, Joanne, looks on. (Photo
by Eric Crump/HF Chronicle)
Kelly spoke with several residents who stopped by to ask questions, share concerns and offer ideas about some of the key issues of the day.
The first residents to arrive were Irving and Joanne Anderson of Homewood. Irving is a member of the Homewood Community Science Center advisory board, and he provided Kelly with a description of the project.
Science, technology, engineering and math education (STEM) is one of Kelly’s priorities, and she noted that she has helped create STEM academies in the 2nd District. She said she was impressed with Homewood’s plan.
Mark Anderson, a teacher from Chicago Heights, also stopped by to talk about education. He said he is concerned about the foundations of public education, not only locally but across the country.
He also invited Kelly to visit his classes when an opportunity presents itself.
One issue raised by residents was infrastructure funding. Replacing aging roads and bridges remains a big challenge nationwide. A local example of infrastructure needs is the Homewood train station, which has needed major renovations for more than a decade.
Kelly noted that Congress passed a funding extension for the federal Highway Trust Fund recently, but according to the Department of Transportation, the fund’s future remains precarious.
She said Congress is working to find a way to provide stable funding for the program, and it should involve a combination of things, including reducing wasteful spending, increasing efficiency, closing some tax loopholes and exploring new revenue sources.
“If people feel we’re being fair and money isn’t being wasted, they will be more open” to paying for infrastructure improvements, she said.
Another resident asked Kelly about the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement currently being negotiated and the subject of some controversy in Congress recently.
Kelly said she voted against legislation that gave President Barack Obama authority to “fast track” the trade bill through Congress once it is completed. She said two big parts of her constituency, Ford Motor Company and unions representing its workers, were very concerned about parts of the draft agreement.
“I’m there to represent my district,” she said. “I’m not against trade. I’m for fair trade.”
She said it’s possible the final version of the agreement could address her concerns, so she’s reserving judgment for now.
“I’m not going to vote for anything I don’t think is going to lift my district,” she said.
Residents also asked about cybersecurity in light of recent news that an April computer system breach at the Office of Personnel management was worse than initially thought and had explosed information on more than 20 million people to hackers.
Kelly said the breach was a wake-up call for the government to increase its vigilance against hackers.
The subject of gun violence also came up following the news this past week that Dylann Roof, accused of murdering nine black people in a Charleston, S.C., church, should not have been able to purchase a gun.
Kelly was appointed in January to be vice-chair of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force.
One suggestion she received from a local resident — that background checks have a stronger local component — is one she plans to take back to the task force for discussion.
Kelly said she enjoyed the chance to talk with Homewood-area residents Saturday.
“My favorite part of the job is talking to my constituents,” she said.
Mayor Hofeld holds informal sessions each Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon. Residents are invited to stop by the Village Hall lobby to ask questions, share concerns or just chat.
A village government representative regularly sits with the mayor to help answer questions and attempt to solve problems residents bring to their attention. On Saturday, Homewood Deputy Police Chief Bill Alcott was on hand.
Contact Eric Crump at [email protected]
Related stories:
Residents tinker with community science center idea (HF Chronicle, April 22, 2015)
22 Million Affected by OPM Hack, Officials Say (ABC News, July 9, 2015)
Background Check Flaw Let Dylann Roof Buy Gun, F.B.I. Says (New York Times, July 10, 2015)
More information:
Robin Kelly
Highway Trust Fund funding status
Kelly Report: Gun violence in America