Meyers pushes change, touts average American image

Candidate is in four-way race for congressional nod

By BILL SHEA, Messenger staff writer
With burgers sizzling on the grill and a frisky puppy zipping around his feet, William J. Meyers greeted friends and supporters Tuesday evening in Fort Dodge.

The 4th Congressional District candidate from Humboldt describes himself as an average American, not a rich politician, and a cookout seemed like an ideal format for him to deliver a message of long-term change.

The Democrat said he wants the nation to move toward energy independence, fair trade and a foreign policy that’s more open-minded about the rest of the world.

He doesn’t promise quick solutions for anything, especially the Iraq war.

‘‘Any candidate or official that says they can withdraw us from Iraq in 60 days or 90 days is (A) feeding you full of baloney to get your vote or (B) absolutely incompetent,’’ he said.

He held a campaign cookout at Snell-Crawford Park attended by about 30 people.

Meyers faces Becky Greenwald, of Perry; Kurt Meyer, of St. Ansgar; and Kevin Miskell, of Stanhope; for the Democratic nomination in the 4th Congressional District. The winner of the June 3 primary election will face U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames, in the fall.

The 4th Congressional District includes Webster County and all its surrounding counties. It extends north to the Iowa-Minnesota border, east to the Mississippi River, and south to Madison and Warren counties. Calhoun, Pocahontas, Palo Alto and Emmet counties are the western edge of the district.

Meyers sees the future solution to the oil price crunch in America’s schools. The answer, he said, is to train future generations of scientists who can devise ways to make the country energy-independent. He wants a ‘‘strong, progressive, well-funded stance on education’’ that will emphasize math and science.

The subprime mortgage lending crisis has joined oil prices in sending shockwaves through the economy. Meyers wants to require all mortgage documents to be written in ‘‘plain English’’ so that people know what they’re signing.

He wants to replace current trade policies with ones that would be fair for American products.

‘‘We continue to bring in more than we’re sending out,’’ he said.

In Iraq, Meyers wants to restore stability by bringing knowledgeable and experienced people back into government. Those people, he said, can be found among former members of Saddam Hussein’s Baath party.

Few of those people were involved in Saddam’s atrocities, he said, but American officials kicked them all out of their jobs after the 2003 invasion. He believes many of them can be safely brought back into Iraq’s government to provide needed expertise.



Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net