Brzozowski addresses nuclear energy, jobs, Kinzinger at La Salle, Ottawa events
Democratic nominee plans meet-and-greets at 35 parks
Aug. 29, 2020
Kevin Chlum
Caption
Kevin Chlum
Caption
Kevin Chlum
Caption
Kevin Chlum
Caption
Over the next five weeks, Dani Brzozowski is holding meet-and-greets at 35 parks throughout Illinois District 16.
The Democratic nominee, who is challenging incumbent Adam Kinzinger, made two of those stops Saturday in La Salle County with visits to Washington Square Park in Ottawa and Hegeler Park in La Salle.
Answering questions from constituents, she addressed the closing of two nuclear power plants, nuclear energy, corporate welfare, campaign donations, social security and keeping jobs and production in the United States.
At her park visits, people have also wanted to discus COVID-19, the Republican National Convention and the economy, including job creation.
Closure of nuclear power plants in Byron, Dresden
Brzozowski said she’s “aggressively pro-nuclear” because it's clean energy. She’s worried about the loss of 1,500 full-time jobs and 2,000 regular temporary jobs at the two facilities and other negative affects of their closure, including increases in property taxes and utility bills and a decrease in services.
“What we need is sweeping policy at the federal level that supports nuclear energy,” Brzozowski said. “Nuclear energy is exempt from some pieces of legislation that props that industry up. We need to make sure we classify nuclear energy as clean energy and provide it the resources it needs, not just to be protected in the way it is now, but to expand. That’s job creation, and it’s movement toward a fossil-free fuel economy that we need.”
Corporate welfare
When asked if the nuclear closures by Exelon were a play for corporate welfare, Brzozowski said she believed Exelon’s statement was that it was hurting due to poor policy and falling energy prices.
She said the state and federal government need to do to more to support nuclear energy.
“The question about corporate welfare points to something else that has to be discussed, and that’s the way our economy supports the interests of corporations at the expense of working families,” Brzozowski said. “That’s something that needs to be addressed with really serious modifications to our tax structure. We have to hold corporations accountable for their emissions.
"Corporate carbon taxation is something that’s overwhelmingly supported by people all over the place.”
Campaign donations
Brzozowski was asked how much Kinzinger has taken from Exelon, and she said $55,000 over 10 years running for Congress and noted 95% of his campaign dollars come from corporate PACs and ultra wealthy conservative donors.
“I'm committed to taking $0 of corporate PAC money, and we’ve taken exactly that. Our average donation is under $100,” Brzozowski said. “We’re funded by people who recognize what we’re fighting for in this district is sincere representation that comes from this community. This place is my home, so it’s natural for me to want to fight for the people who live here.
“Adam Kinzinger voted against capping prescription drug costs. Something like 90% of Americans are scared of rising costs of prescription drugs. When a bill comes up to cap prescription drug costs, you’d think there’d be overwhelming support, but Adam Kinzinger voted against it. When you see he has taken tens of thousands of dollars from big pharma, it becomes clear that Adam Kinzinger does not answer to the people of this district. He answers to his big corporate donors.”
Social security
Brzozowski said she is concerned about the Republican party’s “aggressive attempts to dissemble the social safety net.”
“There’s an easy way to address social security and the lack of funding for it,” Brzozowski said. “For social security, there is a cap. People who make more than $137,000 don’t pay into social security at the same rate the rest of us do. If we remove the cap, those people pay more, and then social security is funded for decades. There are a lot of legislative things that are super complex and feel really difficult. This is not one of them.
"There’s an easy answer here. Remove the cap.”
Keeping jobs in America
Brzozowski said there needs to be incentives for corporations to keep jobs in the United States.
“Corporations have proven they’re not going to do it on their own accord,” Brzozowski said. “There will be places where there’s cheaper labor. There will be places you can offshore money. There are too many loopholes in the existing system to permit the kind of growth and incentives that need to happen to provide jobs and living wages for people in the United States of America.”
Above is from: https://www.bcrnews.com/2020/08/29/brzozowski-addresses-nuclear-energy-jobs-kinzinger-at-la-salle-ottawa-events/am3tk91/
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