Congressman Rick Renzi visits Winslow

On Thursday, May 29, 2003 the citizens of Winslow gathered at Mayor Jim Boles’s house to await the arrival of United States Congressman Rick Renzi, who was participating in an Open House and then a Town Hall meeting.

During the luncheon, the Congressman took the time to listen to various concerns of some of the citizens.

Winslow Memorial Hospital Board Member Conrad Spencer talked to the Congressman about receiving funds for a study to see if it might be possible to reduce the duplicated efforts by Winslow Memorial Hospital and the Winslow Indian Health Care Center by building one common facility to compliment each other.

Spencer said it would be beneficial to both facilities and the new campus would have separate wings for each facility, allowing the Indian Heath Services to keep their federal funding.

The congressman sounded very favorable to Conrad’s request for study money and told him to come up with a detailed proposal for the plan.

City Council Member Dee Rodriguez spoke briefly to the Congressman about funding for the Weed and Seed program here in Winslow.

After the luncheon, the Congressman headed to Council Chambers at the Police Court Complex where he spoke to citizens on various topics. He began his speech by telling the citizens, “Today is the day to make progress.” He said he wanted to help Winslow in any way he could and also said he would be returning every other month to discuss issues with the citizens. Renzi told the crowd they were his eyes and ears and assured that he would try to address what was on their hearts and minds.

The Congressman went on to talk about the war in Iraq saying, “We’re a country at war and our country comes first, but how great it is to liberate and help out Iraq.” He also pointed out that even though the war was dying down, we would continue to see United Stated forces present in Iraq until they are able to run their country with great leadership.

He pointed out the troops are very respectful of the Islamic nation’s faith and would not try to change that faith. Instead, the forces are trying to help Iraq by ensuring the right people end up running the country, thus allowing the people of Iraq to see just who would be the best leader.

Renzi explained, most likely, Iraq will be run by different leaders in different states, which allows the people of Iraq and the United States to see who will be good leaders. He added the Iraqi states would eventually blend as one nation.

The congressman also talked about Iraq’s “Weapons of Mass Destruction.” He said scientists and troops have discovered “dual use facilities,” which were used to make the weapons.

He explained the government has determined that Saddam Hussein had 26 Presidential Palaces before Desert Storm in the early 1990s. But, before Operation Iraqi Freedom began, Saddam had 100 Presidential Palaces, in which some were used as dual use facilities.

Renzi went on to say that scientists and troops have found these facilities to be some type of assembly line in which “weapons of mass destruction” were made.

He explained that in one palace troops found barrel upon barrel of chlorine bleach, at the next site they found a facility of just tubing and then at yet another facility they found other chemicals.

Renzi stated Iraq’s schools had opened on May 14. He told the citizens of a letter read to him by Secretary of Defense Ronald Rumsfeld from an Iraqi school teacher. She said when her students came into class she had them sit down and take out their books. She then had all the students turn to page four, which was a picture of Hussein, and rip the page out of the book.

The Congressman told the citizens they should be proud to live in a country that helped liberate another country from a “growing cancer.”

Renzi then spoke on reforming Medicare. He said Medicare laws need to be amended so that hospitals and medical providers in rural zip codes can be reimbursed at a higher rate than metropolitan hospitals. This would help lower rural area’s costs and to allow better care.

He also spoke on his Tax Relief package saying, “small business are the drive of rural Arizona.” In his opinion, there needs to be tax cuts and economic incentives, as well as expansion dollars, for small business. This should be accompanied by improving existing business dollars for increased development and expansions of new business. He said the plan would create 50,000 new jobs in Arizona by 2008, which would benefit all small rural area business owners.

The Congressman informed Winslow citizens he would fight for them and then spoke of a recent event in Washington. He said he was in session with his fellow congressmen discussing whether or not to cut funding for Veterans. He explained they were arguing until late in the night until they decided to take a recess for the evening.

Renzi continued the story saying that only three remaining votes were needed in order to cut the funding, but he and two others against cutting the funds banded together and vowed not to give in, no matter what was said or offered. The Congressman proudly informed those in attendance that, in the end, he and the other two congressmen were able to get $1.8 Billion for funding for Veterans.

The Congressman closed the meeting by reflecting on the memory of the fallen soldier SPC Lori Piestewa. He said most people look back on the image of the statue of Saddam Hussein being torn down as a real sign of Iraq being liberated.

Renzi said, for him, it was the bravery Piestewa showed as she drew her weapon and valiantly died to save her fellow soldiers. He also pointed out just one mile away from where Piestewa died was a jail holding 150 children who would not join Saddam’s army.

Renzi said he felt liberation for Iraq when he saw pictures of mothers looking the freed children in the face trying to see if they resembled family members, because most of the children had been jailed for years or their faces had been disfigured by torture.

After the Town Hall, Congressman Renzi went on to the Winslow Indian Health Care Center where he toured the hospital and met members of the facility’s board.

The Congressman commented on the beauty of the facility and said he would help the hospital any way he could. He told of plans he is working on for a facility in which a veteran’s clinic and an emergency health clinic would be combined. Looking at a map of the Navajo Nation, Renzi determined Chinle to be the best central location for such a clinic.

Congressman Renzi made his way out of town Thursday afternoon, heading back to his office in Flagstaff. He promised to come back to Winslow in a few months in order to meet with citizens and once again listen to their concerns.