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Adrian Smith says capital preoccupied by Iraq war
Most of the talk in Washington has been centered on the Iraq war, with very little discussion on anything else, said Adrian Smith, U.S. Representative for the 3rd District.
But Smith revealed his own opinions on governmental programs, as he spoke to members of the Child Advocacy Team in McCook on Tuesday.
On No Child Left Behind, he said standardized testing should be a small part of education but instead has spiraled out of control under the federal mandates.
"We're getting so bureaucratic that we're chasing teachers out of the field," he said. Although the No Child Left Behind program is up for re-authorization this year, there has been virtually no debate on it yet.
A teacher at McCook Public Schools told Smith that some kind of a federal probe is needed so Washington could get a first -hand look at how the constant assessments are affecting teachers.
"The frustration is real," said Bob Saf, Special Education director.
Smith acknowledged he was a "terrible test taker" himself and that more flexibility was needed in the No Child Left Behind as well as in other government programs.
"We need to let teachers do what they enjoy doing instead of giving tests," he said, with flexibility leading to innovation.
"But that's easier to say, harder to draft policies," he admitted.
Responding to a question about the various programs the Farm Bill supports, such as food stamps and drought relief, Smith said this bill, too, has had little activity in Washington, despite coming up for re-authorization later this year. He agreed that the bill is important to rural development but that nutrition needs often doesn't get a lot of discussion.
Besides potential cuts to the Farm Bill hurting rural communities, the congressman was told that the biggest crisis facing the 3rd District was the on-going drought.
The impact of the drought is just as real and devastating as other natural disasters, Mayor Dennis Berry said, but lacks the dramatic effects of other tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina.
"You won't see pictures on CNN of dried up lakes and people moving away," Berry said, he said, citing the gradual population and business loss and lack of economic opportunities. He asked for the continued support for Essential Air Service, despite the high cost, as it offers real advantage in attracting businesses.
Smith said he was optimistic about the opportunities in alternative fuels, particularly in biodiesels.
While the concentration on ethanol production had led to complications in the corn market, biodiesels such as converted animal waste and residual oil from fast food restaurants has the potential of becoming a viable energy source.
Other concerns mention to Smith included: an 11 percent cut in Head Start programs and families who need two parents working yet not being eligible for the program; cuts in reimbursements to housing authorities; food stamp vouchers that need to come with education and decreasing welfare benefits gradually instead of all at once when the head of a household returns to work.
Smith visited several communities and facilities in his whirlwind tour of the 3rd District on Tuesday and will meet with McCook city representatives today.