SIDNEY — Fourth District United States Congressman Jim Jordan spoke to the members and guests of the Sidney Rotary Club recently. Jordan has represented Shelby County residents since 1995, when he was first elected as the 85th District State Representative. He was elected to serve in the State Senate in 2000, and served there until he was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2006.
“Shelby County voters have stuck with me for more than 25 years,” Jordan quipped after thanking Detailed Machining President John Bertsch for introducing him. Bertsch served as president of the Sidney Rotary Club from July 1, 2018, through June 30, 2019.
Jordan spoke briefly before taking questions from the audience.
“I want to briefly talk about three things,” Jordan stated. “First and foremost, the economy is great; second, the Left is going completely crazy; and, third, I am growing increasingly concerned about the attacks that are being made daily on our fundamental liberties.”
Jordan spoke about the vibrancy of the economy, and credited the tax cuts and easing of restrictions on business that have been initiated by the Trump Administration. He also spoke about the trade deal with Mexico and Canada.
“Mexico and Canada are ready to sign,” Jordan stated. “Nearly every Republican and about half the Democrats will vote in support of the trade deal.”
“It is likely that Speaker Pelosi will not schedule a vote on the legislation,” Jordan continued. “She will likely not want to give the President a win this close to the election. We hope that the Speaker will put the good of the country over the good of her party, but we fear that she will not do so.”
Jordan indicated the ratification of the United States Mexico Canada Agreement (USMCA) was essential before the ongoing talks with China could be concluded.
“Any success the President has drives the Left absolutely nuts,” Jordan stated. “One day last week, they deposed former White House Communications Director Hope Hicks. The same day, there was a discussion of spending $100B over ten years to combat the opioid crisis. Still another group was meeting to discuss impeachment proceedings.”
“The opioid crisis has had a negative impact on my District, and on the entire country,” Jordan continued. “But just throwing $100B at the problem may make some people feel good, but it will not solve the problem.”
“We are increasingly concerned about the attacks on our fundamental liberties,” Jordan stated. “One thing the Left and the Right can agree on is the use of surveillance cameras and other technologies to track our every move.”
“Google has more than five billion searches every day,” Jordan continued. “Google uses its Analytics product to determine a user’s browsing path. By linking that information to an IP address and an associated Google account, a complete profile of a person can be assembled.”
“What Twitter is doing in the free speech arena is scary,” Jordan stated. “When they decide who can speak and who cannot – the implications are frightening.”
Rotarians asked more than a dozen questions, ranging from illegal immigration to campaign financing to Congressional redistricting to the 2020 decennial census. Jordan answered questions until the meeting ended at 1 p.m., then remained to speak with constituents following the meeting.
Just prior to President Wayne Thompson gaveling the meeting adjourned, AAA Shelby County CEO Debra Barga thanked Jordan for his service to the District and the Country. “We truly appreciate your willingness to speak your mind, represent our values and make a difference,” Barga stated.
At the start of the meeting, several Rotarians paid Happy Bucks for this past week’s events. They included Glenn Phillips, who commended the spectacular Fourth of July fireworks show, John Bertsch, who gladly relinquished the presidency of the club to Wayne Thompson, Debra Barga, whose son will be traveling with his unit to Vietnam as part of Operation Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise, Ed Thomas, who was unable to go on a recent mission trip and praising the Lord’s mysterious ways, Gary Elsass, who commended the US National Women’s Soccer Team for bringing home the World Cup, Tony Bornhorst, who announced the birth of his 15th grandchild, and Jim Hill, who accompanied 26 others from his church on a mission trip to Honduras.
Kent Craver thanked Rotarians for selling their raffle tickets for front-row seats to the Country Concert. “We had our second best sales year ever, not bad when you consider the difficulties we had with online sales!”
Thompson asked Rotarians to mark their calendars for a special joint meeting with the Sidney Kiwanis Club scheduled for August 28. The meeting will be held at Geib Pavilion in Tawawa Park, and will mark the kickoff for the construction of the inclusive playground.
The Rotary Club of Sidney meets every Monday at noon at the Sidney American Legion Hall (1265 Fourth Avenue, Sidney). Potential Rotarians who would like more information about the world’s oldest service organization are encouraged to contact any current member.
