Thank you for the opportunity to be with you here today, at the (name) County Democratic convention. My name is Kurt Meyer.
- - I am proud to be a Democrat;
- - I am proud to be a candidate for congress; and
- - I am proud to think that in November, working together, we will elect a Democrat to represent us all in Congress.
March 15th is an important milepost in the journey toward November. Today, the Kurt Meyer for Congress campaign has a presence at all 28 county conventions. I've tapped 3 of my 4 brothers, my sister and my father, my wife and my daughter, and several friends... all to represent me from the podium today. But the delegates of ____ County are stuck with me!
The Kurt Meyer for Congress campaign is committed to a 28-county strategy because people are hungry for change in every corner of the 4th district. Something remarkable is underway and will crest this November. Collectively, we will change the direction of our country and people everywhere are eager to assist in this transformation.
Now before I get too carried away about this, let me pause for a moment and introduce myself to those of you I've not yet met. As I said, my name is Kurt Meyer. Both my wife Paula and I are fifth-generation Iowans. We'll celebrate our 30th wedding anniversary this summer. My roots are in Mitchell County, near the Iowa - Minnesota border. Members of my family have lived in this peaceful rural neighborhood for 154 years, which is as deep as your roots can reach in this community.
As a child, I had the best of both worlds in that I grew up on a small family farm in a union household. The life lessons I absorbed from my family and from my rural community were basic and straightforward:
- - Keep your word.
- - Help your neighbors.
- - Do your part.
- - Mind your manners.
- - Open your eyes.
- - And, follow your dreams.
I've sought to practice these lessons every single day of my life.
For the last 27 years, my career has been in the nonprofit world, working with hospitals and nursing homes, with libraries and museums, with colleges and churches ... helping them plan, helping them reach more people, helping them better serve their communities. My assignments varied greatly... but in almost every case, my objective was to focus an organization's energy and talents to bring about results.
I'd like to tell you about a few of these results. In one community, a new hospital, yes, but of greater importance, more seniors receiving convenient, high-quality healthcare close to home. In another community, a more vibrant college, yes, but of greater importance, more students with access to scholarships to offset tuition costs. In one instance, a better library, yes, but of greater importance, children with ready access to rich learning materials. In one city, a larger domestic abuse shelter, yes, but of greater importance, the space needed to accommodate a mother and two pre-school children when they seek a safe place at one o'clock in the morning.
Assisting organizations, like in these four examples, has been my calling for almost three decades. It's been a fulfilling career aimed at community service, a career that has required energy, collaboration, leadership and the ability to get things done. As an outgrowth of this experience, today I'm seeking public office... not as a life-long politician but rather, like people throughout the 4th district, as someone concerned about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, in recent years, our government has worked best for those who need it least... people who live in comfort, people assured of adequate healthcare coverage, people who can afford the soaring tuition costs. All too often, however, our government falls short when it comes to those who need a helping hand - working families, single parents, family farmers, senior citizens, and children from low-income households.
My friends, we must change Washington's priorities... and I'm committed to making it happen. But commitment alone won't do it. It takes leadership, it takes capacity, it takes the ability to get things done, and it takes both the background as well as the backbone to make change happen.
Furthermore, it takes the ability to challenge Tom Latham in the fall... to take him on and take him out. Let's not kid ourselves. It won't be easy. Tom Latham has defeated Democratic challengers 7 times in 14 years - good people, all of whom thought victory was possible. He has the power of incumbency and considerable name recognition.
Ah, but fortunately for us, he also has a voting record.
Since the current President took office, Tom Latham has not represented our interests in Washington or his record would be vastly different. No, for some peculiar reason, Tom Latham has seen fit to vote with the President, the same president that history may list among the worst our country has ever endured.
Let me also say, our Congressman has found fit to vote for every entity that could possibly find itself attached to the word "big"... big oil, big insurance, big pharmacy, and big agri-business just for starters. I must add one more "big" to the list... big deficits. Tom Latham has not yet encountered a big budget deficit he couldn't support.
So how will we defeat Tom Latham? We'll defeat him by running a strong, energetic, issue-focused campaign... because he's vulnerable on the issues. Furthermore, I will contrast my results-oriented, future-directed leadership to his low-impact, stay-in-the-foxhole, show-up-and-smile approach.
I intend to point out that holding an office and being in Washington does not automatically make you a leader and that there's more to representing us in Congress than casting votes on our behalf... especially when, time after time, those votes cast are with the President and his dismal administration.
Tempting as it may be, it's not necessary to "cherry pick" a few egregious votes from our Congressman's record to place before 4th district Iowans. I'll grant him this... his record is consistent, year in and year out... wrong for Iowa and bad for Iowans. And I intend to hold him accountable for it.
Three of the issues I intend to run on are outlined on the card we're handing out today: strengthening our shaky economy, bringing our troops home from Iraq, and extending health care solutions to every man, woman, and child in our country. I invite you to take one of these cards and visit the campaign website - http://www.kurtmeyerforcongress.com/. You'll find more information about our campaign, including my positions on many of the major issues. Check back often... we'll keep the website new and fresh throughout the entire campaign.
As the last seven years have reminded us, elections have consequences. Choices we make this fall will shape the legacy left by an entire generation and will help determine the kind of world our children inherit. For seven long years, our country has been pointed in the wrong direction. Electing Kurt Meyer to Congress is an important first step in a major course correction.
My fellow Democrats... this is our year. We WILL elect a Democratic President. We WILL re-elect our great Senator, Tom Harkin. And this is our year - perhaps our best opportunity in a lifetime - to turn the 4th district blue. We WILL elect a Democrat to reflect our interests, to advocate on our behalf, to advance our priorities in the U.S. House of Representatives.
To defeat Tom Latham, to make these changes, and to change the course of our county, I need your support. I ask you to vote "Kurt Meyer for Congress," first in the June 3 primary and then again in November. Thank you for your attention today. And thank you for your support.
