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The Iowa Senate will remain under the control of a slim 26-25 Democratic majority when it reconvenes in January 2012.
William Meyers sees himself as the Jimmy Stewart character in “Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,” only in this edition, Mr. Smith is a Marine.
Meyers specialized in counterterrorism in the Marine Corps before sustaining a back injury in a training exercise in 2000. After returning home, Meyers became an activist for veterans’ rights, lobbying the Department of Veterans Affairs for years in hopes of improving care for veterans. Now, the 33-year-old Humboldt native is throwing his hat into the political ring, competing in the four-way Democratic primary to take on incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Latham this fall. Meyers said that while he may not have the money or connections of his opponents, he has experienced firsthand the things they can only talk about: universal health care, living as an immigrant in the United Kingdom and Austria and fighting global terrorism.
So with his wife, Raphaela, by his side, Meyers is taking his story from voter to voter in the hopes that he can pull a June surprise and carry the Democratic banner into November.
Here is where Meyers stands on the issues:
The economy
“My Democratic opponents and Congressman Latham are only proposing temporary fixes for what truly ails our economy. Like a house with a crumbling foundation, you can’t turn to simple fixes to solve the problems. You have to do huge renovations.
“One of the wisest things we can do for our country is invest in our citizens. The next genius who could solve a problem for this world could also be too poor to afford higher education. So I say, in exchange for serving your community and country, the government should pay to send you to college. If you serve in the military, as a police officer, work at a nursing home, work with the park service, any number of ways to serve, you should get compensated by getting to go to college. It’s a way to take care of people from the ground up.”
Health care
“I’ve lived under two [single-payer] health care systems, and they work amazingly. That is the direction we need to take our country in. People will argue that taxes will go up if we do it, but if you subtract what you spend on health insurance now, you’ll see that in reality you save money and ensure everyone is covered.
“This would be a huge gain for lower income folks, for employers, for unions, for everyone. It’s a win-win situation.”
Immigration
“We need stronger enforcement on our immigration laws, because a lack of enforcement has made our nation less secure. Businesses that profit off of what is in essence black market slavery need to be punished in a way that ensures a message is sent that we won’t tolerate it any more. As for the illegal immigrants that are already here, they have committed a crime and should not be rewarded with a special path to residency. A crime is a crime and we should have them return home and go through the proper channels to become citizens.
“I lived as an immigrant in two European countries, and so I have a perspective on this. I had to go through an integration system that, among other things, ensured I could speak the language. These people need the skills to ensure they can fend for themselves in society. That’s the kind of plan I’m proposing, which I think is far more progressive than any of my opponents’ plans.”
The war in Iraq
“I’ve been outspoken in my opposition to this war since before the invasion. I wasn’t a sheep and I won’t be when I’m in Washington.
“The biggest mistake we made was ousting every member of the Baath Party from the Iraqi government. That ensured that 90 percent of the population couldn’t be involved in rebuilding and stabilizing that country. I think that we need to take a serious look at bringing some of those people back in the government to restore stability so we can eventually fall off and withdraw from there.
“I think if we can begin the process of stabilizing Iraq, our troops could be home in five years. My opponents keep saying `swiftly and safely,’ but that is just politics talk or incompetence. It is not going to be easy to get our troops home, but it can be done and it must be done.”
Rep. Tom Latham
“He’s been a rubber stamp for the Bush administration and the Republican Party. He only represents the extreme right wing of the population, not the majority.”
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