The Optimist Club of Caldwell, Idaho had a special guest today. Senator Mike Crapo stopped by to discuss current events, the economy and what the government is doing to affect change. He said from the beginning that his talk was not optimistic and he was right. While he did not give a political stump speech that one might expect during an election year, he was tough on the lines that divide our current Congress and Senate decisions. There are some scary economic realities that face our electorate and our leaders.
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Senator Mike Crapo reads the Optimist Creed |
One of our purposes as Optimist Club members is to promote good government and civic affairs so hearing from our elected leaders is the right thing to do. But it is also right to remind them that they are there to promote good policy, work to compromise and alleviate hardship. I especially enjoyed Optimist Club member Casey Crookham's final question to the senator. He asked, "What policy or policies are are you especially proud of from your time in office?"
Senator Crapo's reply was
so one that is so important to Idaho. He said that he was proud of the rural economic development initiatives that have come from the US Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Commerce. Both have been quite effective in helping develop infrastructure in Idaho, especially in cities that are facing rural-to-urban challenges.
Yes, we are optimistic about the future in Idaho. And just to prove our point, Senator Crapo led us in the Optimist Creed. I hope he takes the message back to Washington D.C. with him.