Latta spends productive day in county

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

U.S. Representative Bob Latta was in Van Wert on Wednesday for a variety of meetings and appearances as part of his constituent work throughout the Fifth Congressional District.

Latta, who sat down for an interview with The Van Wert independent early Wednesday afternoon, said he had been involved in a number of activities earlier in the day in Van Wert, noting he had helped an Eagle scout in Venedocia with a cannon project, toured Vantage Career Center and Braun Industries, and had a business discussion with Bill Purmort, president and CEO of Central Insurance Companies.

Latta said he was very impressed with the technology available to students at Vantage, noting he saw students driving semis and heavy construction equipment, as well as working on advanced medical mannequins that allow them to check vital signs and perform a number of medical procedures, as well as an advanced 3D heart machine.

Latta added that he was surprised to see equipment in the Carpentry program that could cut a board to a 1,000th of an inch.

“The equipment there is top of the line,” Latta noted, adding that the request to tour Vantage came from Superintendent Rick Turner. “When you look at what’s happening out there, they’ve just done a tremendous job.”

The congressman said that, with so many job opportunities coming open around the region, the training — and retraining — offered at Vantage for high school and adult students is crucial to filling those jobs.

Latta also said he was impressed with how quickly Braun Industries was able to renovate the former LifeStar Rescue building it purchased a couple of years ago and add a new production line related to its merger with Canadian ambulance maker Demers Ambulances.

Latta said he has seen a number of positives linked to the recent tax cuts passed by Congress, noting that a number of companies are adding workers and equipment, giving workers raised and bonuses, and making other needed improvements using tax cut dollars.

Following a mention of Apple and its substantial overseas money, Latta noted that the technology company is bringing its overseas stash of $250 billion back to the United States, while also paying $38 billion in taxes on the money. The congressman said that, while that was a significant tax bill, Apple would have had to pay a much higher amount before Congress lowered the corporate tax rate.

Latta also noted the tech company plans to add 20,000 new jobs in the U.S. over the next few years.

With Ohio not all that supportive of wind farms that bring in significant money to local governments and other entities, as well as being a prerequisite for tech companies and other companies who want clean energy for new facilities, Latta said Republicans have had an “all of the above” policy on energy for some years, and noted that natural gas is supplanting coal as the fuel being used in manufacturing facilities and power plants.

“We need to get everything out there,” Latta said. “Where we are in this country, we don’t need less energy, we need more power, because we’re going to see more development.”

Latta also addressed the nation’s opioid crisis, noting that while 37,000 people died on U.S. highways this past year, 63,000 died from drug overdoses.

“To put it into perspective, more than 57,000 people died in Vietnam — that’s in an entire war; this is in just one year,” he said of the 63,000 people who died nationwide from drug overdoses.

Latta said that 5,232 of those 63,000 overdose deaths were in Ohio, making it the third worst state for overdoses in the country.

The congressman said the drug problem was pervasive.

“It knows no boundaries, it’s everywhere, it’s next door, it’s down the street,” Latta noted.

Especially problematic is the use of fentanyl and carfentanil as cutting agents for heroin and a number of other drugs, including marijuana.

Because the drug is manufactured outside the country and is sometimes mailed to local dealers, Latta said postal workers are afraid to handle mail, since fentanyl can kill people by entering a person’s body through skin contact with an item, such as mail, that is contaminated.

Latta said Congress is trying to deal with the problem, noting that in a recent nine-hour session, the House of Representatives passed 57 bills related to drug addiction.

“We can’t just make it better, we have to stop it,” he said.

Latta also touted the fact that he has had the fifth-highest number of bills passed by Congress, as well as being the fourth best in attendance at House sessions.

One bill of his that deals with the drug problem, Latta said, provides information on resources local governments can use to help with drug treatment, as well as funding sources that could help pay the expenses involved.

Latta said he was returning to Bowling Green after media interviews so he can get an early start today by attending a National Day of Prayer event in the district.