Some Sixth District Missouri residents answer the question, "Why do you support Kay Barnes for Congress?"

Why do you support Kay? Please email your answers to kay@kay4congress.com.

SHOW ME STATE OF MIND:
Women Can’t Afford to Send Graves Back to Washington
Volume 1, Issue 20: August 25, 2008

As families are sending their children back to school, Congressman Sam Graves is back to the same old politics: saying one thing and doing another.

The latest subject of Graves’ double talk is women’s health care. This week, Congressman Graves is hosting a luncheon focused on breast care prevention, a laudable goal and a matter of life-and-death for millions of women nationwide.

According to the American Cancer Society, breast cancer is the most common cancer among American women, except for skin cancers, and the second leading cause of cancer death in women. More than 180,000 women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and more than 40,000 will die from the disease in this year alone. Although early detection and improved treatment has helped, there is still a very long way to go.

Unfortunately, Congressman Graves has spent the last eight years in Washington helping George Bush undermine health care in general and women’s health care in particular. In 2006, Graves voted to cut funding for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health and has repeatedly opposed requiring insurance companies to cover mammograms and cervical cancer screenings.

A 2005 study found that 28 to 65 percent of the decrease in breast cancer deaths from 1990 to 2000 was due to women getting mammograms. Unfortunately, mammography rates are now going down. One reason could be that more and more women are uninsured and cannot afford regular mammograms. Today, there are 17 million adult women who are uninsured — 5 million more than when Graves was elected in 2000. And millions more women worry that the insurance they do have won’t cover the expensive treatments breast cancer requires.

I applaud Sam Graves for hosting an event on this important topic — but it is a small consolation for me and millions of other women who have watched him steadfastly oppose any attempt to reform our broken health care system.

We can’t afford the same old tired politics of double talk anymore. We can’t afford to send Sam Graves back to Washington.

Tomorrow, Kay will be walking in the Lewis and Clark Trail Days Parade in Buckner. Please stop by and say hello if you see us!

-Karee

It’s hard to believe that in only one week we are going to nominate a presidential candidate for the Democratic Party!

We here at the Barnes Campaign are excited about the event and want to share the moment with all of our supporters. On the night of August 28th we will gather at the Screenland Armour Theater to watch Barack Obama’s acceptance speech together and we hope you will join us!!!

-Britt

SHOW ME STATE OF MIND:
Why Does Graves Oppose Wind Energy?
Volume 1, Issue 19: August 18, 2008

Consumers are suffering under high gas and diesel prices, and the other cost increases that they cause. We need to provide relief for consumers now by creating a balanced energy policy.

First, we must create more of our own energy domestically. That’s why I have called for immediately increasing drilling in Alaska and in our coastal waters, where oil companies already have millions of acres of leased land which they refuse to explore.

But, we can’t forget about another form of renewable energy that is growing right here in Northwest Missouri: wind power. The wind turbines in Rock Port and King City are already producing electricity that will power thousands of homes and decrease our dependence on foreign fuels.

Wind farms are great for our country, as well as our communities. They create jobs and spur economic development in smaller cities and towns while generating local revenue. For example, King City’s school district expects to receive more than $200,000 per year in additional funding as a direct result of the wind turbines.

Even though they can do so much for Missouri, our wind farms are at risk. In 135 days, the Production Tax Credit for renewable energy will expire. Experts say this will put the renewable energy industry into a tailspin, costing the U.S. 112,000 jobs and $19 billion in investment.

The partisan stalemate in Congress over renewing the tax credits is already making it more difficult for wind project developers to line up financing. Farmers and small business owners in the District tell me at least one major wind farm developer has now placed its entire project on hold awaiting the renewal of the credits. Of course, this is exactly what Exxon and Big Oil want to see. They don’t want anyone to cut into their record profits or billions in tax giveaways.

Although he claims to support wind energy, Congressman Sam Graves has voted against the Production Tax Credit five times! Why? Well, maybe it has something to do with the fact that he has received more than $63,000 from the oil and gas industry since 2000.

We need a member of Congress who will stand with our rural communities who are producing energy here at home, instead of with Exxon and Big Oil.

SHOW ME STATE OF MIND:
Where I Stand
Volume 1, Issue 17: August 4, 2008

The General Election to decide your representative in Congress is about to begin. It is important that Missouri’s 6th District have a representative who shares the values of its people. I would like to take this opportunity to let you know where I stand on the issues and how I contrast with my opponent, Congressman Sam Graves.

I stand for:

Missouri values. Values like pitching in to get the job done, working together to improve the community, keeping your word, and taking responsibility for your actions — these are the values I learned growing up in St. Joseph, and that I taught to my own children.

A real energy policy. A balanced approach to expanding renewable energy sources and increasing the supply of American energy is the only way to provide consumers relief from high gas prices and achieve energy independence.

Strengthening the economy. Working middle class families and small businesses have made our country the strongest in the world, and we should provide them relief to promote a healthy growing economy.

Securing our borders. The United States must enhance its border security and hold employers accountable for breaking the law to ensure national and economic security for all Americans.

Paying down our national debt. Washington has a responsibility to take spending seriously and reduce wasteful spending, but it has failed miserably.

Affordable, high-quality health care. We must make sure the health care system works for all Americans by strengthening programs like Medicare and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) instead of giving taxpayer-funded windfall profits to big drug companies.

Fulfilling our promises to veterans and soldiers. Our veterans and soldiers are true American heroes, and we must ensure they are taken care of while deployed and after they have returned.

Protecting citizens and their rights. Congress must uphold the Constitution by protecting the safety and security of the United States and ensuring the rights of all Americans, such as the right to bear arms.

Keeping America competitive. We need to keep the American Dream alive by preparing our young people to succeed in today’s world, and we must start by fixing Washington’s broken education laws.

Honesty and accountability. We must hold our politicians accountable, not only for what they say, but for what they do.

Kay and I traveled to Lathrop in Clinton County last night to the home of Joe and Kendra Gagnon. Kay spoke to the group about their concerns. High gas prices and dwindling health care were on the forefront of the minds of the residents who attended.

High gas prices are especially hard on many Lathrop residents, who commute about 45 minutes each way to Kansas City for work on a daily basis.

In the midst of the challenges facing Missouri, those gathered expressed their support for Barnes as a change agent in Washington. They believe that Kay is qualified to represent them because of her rural roots across the District and her accomplishments as Mayor of Kansas City.

One guest interjected his sentiment to the group: “Kay is for everybody. Sam is for Sam.”

-Karee