Remarks to Sixth District Reorganization meeting at Greensburg, Indiana on June 5, 2011. Because of time constraints; Lane’s remarks were limited. This is the full text of the speech.
I’m Lane Siekman… and I’m running for the U.S. Congress… I’m from Rising Sun, Indiana down in Ohio County along the Ohio River. I’m a Fifth generation Hoosier… I have been married to my wife Robin for 29 years… We have 3 children; the twins are 21 this year… my daughter Allison is a Senior at Ball State University studying history and political science and my son Brenden is a Senior or Firstie at the United States Military Academy at West Point… my youngest, Carly will be entering the 7th grade at Rising Sun next Fall… Robin works as a Neonatal Nurse at Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati and I practice law in Rising Sun.. I’m proud of my family, where I come from, I’m proud to be a Democrat, and I have been very blessed in my life…
I have also been spoiled…. When I was growing up, my congressman was Lee Hamilton… a statesman and leader, and then Baron Hill, a tough energetic representative… We had leaders like Birch and Evan Bayh…. And Phil Sharp.. These were the kind of representatives that cared about people and their concerns, their everyday problems and troubles, and they worked to make this country a better place for all of us.
The streak went on… In 2008, We elected Barack Obama, an African American as President… and we almost elected a woman… and Indiana turned Blue for the first time in my adult life….
But then something happened… The Election of 2010 was an eye opener… We let cable news talking heads dictate the issues; We allowed corporate money disguised as “grass roots” attack Democratic success, … and we as a party let this nation down…. We stayed home… We lost…and when Democrats lose… the whole nation loses…
Radical elements of the Republican Party captured the Indiana State House…. and the U.S. House of Representatives…. Then they dusted off every radical goal and put it on the agenda… In Indiana, they tried to dismantle Indiana’s public school system and deprive working men and women of their rights to earn a decent wage. Only a courageous effort by the Democrats to break the quorum staved off total destruction… In Congress, they ignored creating jobs and instead focused on the deficit. An issue that they had conveniently forgot about for eight years under President George W. Bush. Never mind that Bush took a budget surplus of $236.2 billion (Congressional Budget Office) and turned it into a trillion-dollar deficit just eight years later. They attacked the stimulus bill and Healthcare bill while ignoring Bush’s costly tax cut and the ongoing expense of fighting two wars or not to mention the recession ushered in by the failed politics and Wall Street buddies of Bush.
When Democrats lose.. It’s the middle class that loses… It’s the sick, It’s the elderly, and It’s working men and women that lose out…
But today, we have a fresh opportunity and a clear responsibility with this new District to send a message to the people…. … It’s time for Democrats to stand up and fight….
It’s time for Democrats to stand up and fight…. To fight to protect Medicare. The Republican budget makes radical changes to Medicare and raises costs for Seniors. The plan also immediately reopens the "donut hole" in Medicare’s drug coverage for current recipients. But the real impact is on those of us that are age 54 and under, We swap comprehensive coverage for with a “voucher” or “premium support” to buy private health insurance. Maybe these people have been watching "Extreme Couponing" too much. This voucher is not expected to keep up with increasing costs and shifts thousands of dollars in medical costs onto the individual. I am 50 years old and have spent 30 years paying into this system and cannot afford to start saving enough now for that extra expense when or "if" I retire.
It’s time for Democrats to stand up and fight…. To fight to create real jobs here at home.. with working wages to rebuild our Middle Class… Let the American people know that we are on their side…. We are the most productive nation in the world… give Americans the chance to bring labor and capital together on a grand scale… We can do great things.. I have no problem with Corporations paying lower taxes if they are truly reinvesting profits in the U.S. economy by building new domestic factories and hiring workers in the United States but stop rewarding companies for shifting income overseas and avoiding taxes. The tax code should be simplified to lower rates but also eliminate tax loopholes which will also pay down the deficit. Let’s reward investment in Main Street not paper profits on Wall Street….
It’s time for Democrats to stand up and fight…. To fight to end the crippling influence of big money in our elections and in the halls of our government… overturn the Citizens United decision, make government more transparent, and give the power back to the people… Corporations are not people and the law shouldn’t treat them that way… Corporations have a goal of maximizing shareholder wealth but that shouldn’t be the goal of the U.S. Congress. It is the people’s house and the people must come first…
It’s time for Democrats to stand up and fight…. To let our voices be heard…. But in order to do so, We need to get organized… to raise money… to send out a clear message… to recruit good candidates… to contest every office in every city and every county…we need to work hard… to commit ourselves to the long fight.. and to always stay true to our principles…
I’m Lane Siekman… and I’m running for the U.S. Congress… God Bless you all….LaneForCongress.com