Two Trips; Two Differing Parties

One of the good and bad parts of my job is that I get to participate at a pretty high level politically with both parties. The good is that I have been invited to a lot of neat things over the past couple weeks. The bad is that, during these events, I hear a ton of heated rhetoric.

I recently attended Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s policy retreat in Napa Valley. It was great to be among Vice President Gore, about 30 House Democratic members, Robert Redford and some top-notch economists. There were some incredible discussions on the hottest of issues.

I flew into Napa a Pelosi fan and came back to Washington even more of a Pelosi fan. The more I am around her, the more these positive qualities emerge. Again, I was blown away by Pelosi’s strength as a leader, her focus and her determination. So many people attack her in the press – half of which do so out of fear. She is one able leader for the Democratic Party!

I spent time talking to several members from the 2008 election who are running their first races as incumbents this year. What struck me -- and I’m sure it’s the same on the Republican side of the aisle – was the courage that many of them had to take tough votes and do what was in the nation’s best interest, not just of local interest.

I had a good discussion with Vice President Gore on weatherization. We chatted about where we would like to take the program in terms of reducing energy dependence, improving the environment and the potential for partnering with solar and some of the other clean-energy sources.

Later that week, I flew to Iowa and spent some time in Des Moines with my friend of 28 years, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley. I think he has changed less than any of the members I know. He is still the same guy today as he was when I met him in 1982. I was with him in a town hall format, and it was a lot of fun. He certainly does know his programs.

The differences in the parties continue to be highlighted for me. One big difference is how they view domestic spending. Democrats are looking at reducing the deficit, but are talking a lot about protecting low-income programs. Some Republicans (and I didn’t necessarily pick this up from Grassley) will propose some pretty draconian cuts on domestic spending early next year.

One thing that both parties have in common: they both want to get home to be among the voters. I think they will both do their part to avoid tough votes in September.

Monday Morning in Minnesota

I am in Minnesota today looking forward to a meeting with Al Quie, a former Republican congressman and Governor of Minnesota. During his congressional term from 1958 to 1979, he played a pivotal role in Community Action programs.

Congressman Quie was intimately involved in the debates regarding the Economic Opportunity Act and the fate of the War on Poverty. He was helpful in achieving the ultimate compromise in the aftermath of President Nixon's attempt to dismantle the programs. 

I haven't visited with him in 25 years. With all the researching and writing that I have done on the subject in the last several years, I have several questions I would like to ask him.

This is one of the visits I've been looking forward to all month.

Pedaling Downhill During August Recess

My August “recess” is turning out to be a busy one. Just like in cycling, you can coast down a hill to allow your muscles to recuperate but if you pedal going down a hill you may be able to gain a little more speed to make up lost ground.

I am planning to use this more relaxed time on the Hill to build upon relationships with senior staff. I am also traveling around the country campaigning with Republicans and Democrats.

I have three History of the War on Poverty workshops to do in August and will be working more on the joint CIF Community Economic Development & NCAF Energy Programs Leveraging Conference coming up in late October.

We also have some important meetings coming up with potential partners and will focus on getting out more communications to the field.

Last, but not least, I hope to fit in at least one baseball game!

Help Wanted in Developing New Nutrition Program

National Community Action Foundation has been talking about a nutrition and obesity program for years, but now we are under a deadline for presenting our best ideas to the Senate in mid-November.

There is a very good senator wanting to do something with us in the areas of nutrition, obesity and healthy families. I know Community Action Agencies can and should play a role in helping low-income families to become healthier.

As a network, Community Action needs to develop an effective, inexpensive policy that is not being duplicated by other groups. I would appreciate having three or four individuals come forward to work with me for the next few months as we develop ideas. If you are interested in helping with this project, e-mail me or share your comments below.

31,000 Homes Weatherized in A Single Month!

In June 2010, the Community Action weatherization network weatherized 31,000 homes with federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act!  The Administration is quite pleased.

Through the Weatherization Assistance Program, 12,983 full-time equivalent jobs were created through the second quarter (making weatherization #7 in the production of Recovery Act jobs).  Local weatherization agencies -- most of which got their contracts in November 2009 -- have weatherized more than 100,000 homes nationwide. These weatherizers have purchased local supplies and have pumped resources and hope into the local economies.  The American households that are being retrofitted with these energy-efficient upgrades are seeing significantly lower energy bills.

We knew we could do it.  During a pretty tough meeting at least six months ago, DOE officials were skeptical.  We told them if they would clear up the barriers, they would be proud of the outcomes. DOE did its part, and Community Action Agencies are doing their part.

Congratulations to the Community Action weatherization network for a job well done!

The Perfect August Read

I highly recommend a terrific biography that I just finished, The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder.

How does Warren Buffett relate to Community Action, you might ask? There is much to learn from how he leads his organizations, builds business relationships, relates to other business entities and conducts himself through a set of strong principles. There’s a model there.

The book is motivating and reaffirms my impressions of Warren Buffett gained over a number of years.

I was fortunate in March 2008 to be invited to a four-hour dinner with Warren Buffett. (Click here to read my blog following that dinner.) It still remains one of the most amazing dinner meetings I have ever had. Buffett is one of the neatest people I've encountered – not because he is one of the world’s richest men, but because of the way he approaches life.

His honesty, integrity and drive resonate through his business, his life and this book. I am recommending this book to everyone I know as the perfect August read.

August Recess Begins, Partisanship Peaks

The House went out last week and the Senate is recessing at the end of this week until the week after Labor Day.

Of course, all eyes are on the election. I am watching the election outlooks anxiously and am looking forward to the day when bipartisanship returns. It may take until 2013, but I hope, for the country’s sake, that it returns in 2011.

When the Senate couldn’t agree on moving oil spill legislation because of partisan wrangling, that was just one more example of how bad things really are.

I felt for two or three months that Republicans could pick up as many as 50 seats in the Senate. Now, I think Democrats will regain control in the Senate, with a 54 - 46 or 53 - 47 split. The reason I think this is not so much that the country likes Democratic incumbents; voters are still very anti-incumbent. However, some of the Republican candidates are very much outside the mainstream. This may be the saving grace for the Democratic Party.

Whichever party captures control of the House, and if Democrats maintain the Senate by a narrow margin, we may see more difficulty in moving legislation. If partisanship remains as high as it is now, we may see more gridlock for some time.