Latta in town to discuss federal issues

DAVE MOSIER/independent editor

U.S. Representative Bob Latta was in Van Wert on Monday and made several stops in the community, including taking time for interviews with the Van Wert independent and WERT/WKSD Radio.

Latta said that, while he sits on a number of House committees and subcommittees, he feels hearing from district residents is equally important.

“When it comes right down to it, you got to listen to the people back home,” the congressman said, “and regulations, Obamacare, taxes and energy are issues they’re all saying right now they have a problem with.”

Obamacare has been a long-standing issue for conservative Republicans like Latta, who say the health care plan is costing the nation more money for medical expenses, while also costing jobs because companies won’t hire because they’re concerned about what ramifications the healthcare law will have on their businesses.

Latta said over-regulation has been a problem for some time, with federal regulations now costing the private sector an estimated $1.8 trillion a year. The congressman talked about one businessman who said he just hired another employee for his 10-employee business, but that this employee was a compliance officer to make sure the business was following all the regulations being foisted upon it by government agencies.

“Now the other ten are going to have to work 10 percent harder to make up for the person they had to hire just to do the compliance work,” Latta said.

The congressman also talked briefly about increasing the minimum wage, noting that it is estimated an increase in the minimum wage could cost the country 500,000 to 1 million jobs. Those who are most hurt by a minimum wage increase are those at the lower end of the economic scale, Latta said.

On the other hand, the congressman said there are plenty of jobs out there, with an estimated 3 million jobs available in the energy sector alone. In fact, foreign corporations are looking at locating in America precisely because of the U.S.’s relatively cheap energy. One problem, he added, is finding qualified workers to fill those jobs – an issue Latta said we have to address if the economy is going to continue to grow.

One reason workers can’t qualify for available jobs is they can’t pass a drug screen, something that is increasingly more prevalent with the large amounts of illegal drugs found in American communities.

“It’s not just a problem, it’s an epidemic,” Latta said, noting that heroin can be obtained for $10 a hit and meth labs are also proliferating. “These are real serious problems because it takes your community down real fast when you have people dealing in it, buying it and then getting hooked on it.”

“There are a lot of jobs out there, but there’s a sign on the door: ‘we drug test’,” Latta said. “We’ve got a Catch 22, we’ve got jobs out there, but you can’t get the jobs because the folks are ineligible.”

Latta said the drug issue is one that has been going on for decades, but said he doesn’t think legalizing marijuana is a good way to go to help combat the nation’s drug problem.

“I’m dead set against legalizing it,” Latta said, noting that legalizing marijuana could also impact companies who drug test who then have to determine what drugs they should test for.

Another possible problem is an increase in impaired drivers who are high on marijuana instead of alcohol.

Latta had a busy schedule on Monday, and was off to Vantage Career Center following the interview to lunch with Vantage Director Ben Winans and several Vantage students (see photo above).