Published: August 20, 2008 12:39 am            

Wicker talks energy and immigration at town hall meeting

Republican U.S. Senator Roger Wicker was in Meridian Tuesday night to hear questions and comments from the public at a town hall meeting.

The meeting packed the reception hall at Union Station.

"This is an exercise of the Bill of Rights tonight," Wicker said. "This is the right of the people peaceably to assemble."

The Senator seemed easy and confident as he guided the crowd through the town hall process. Of the many topics raised by the audience, the one that came up most was energy policy.

Wicker was asked by Greg Snowden, a State Representative (R-Meridian), if he takes a leadership role on domestic oil production, and was asked by Bill Marcy, who entered the 3rd Congressional District Republican nomination race earlier this year, how he felt about the wind energy plans proposed by oil magnate T. Boone Pickens.

Wicker talked about the "gas price reduction act" he is co-sponsoring in the Senate, which he said would allow more domestic drilling and would promote research into electric cars. He said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had not thus far allowed a vote on domestic drilling in the Senate, but added, "I'm hopeful that... we'll come back after September and be able to have a vote on that."

He said he is also in favor of nuclear power. "The French do 80 percent of their power production from nuclear," he said. "You're not going to tell me that the French can do it better than the Americans."

To answer the question about wind power, Wicker said he agreed with T. Boone Pickens on two points in particular.

"I'll tell you where T. Boone Pickens is absolutely correct," he said. "He wants to use wind energy and he also wants to drill... I also agree with him that what we are doing now is the largest transfer of wealth to a foreign country."

This transfer of wealth, he told the audience, is responsible for more than just problems with the American economy. He said of Russia's military action in Georgia,: "They never would have taken that position if they weren't awash with petro money."

Wicker said that he felt the government needed to "look at" partnering with Pickens on his proposed wind energy program, but did not give a decided opinion on the matter.

Another key issue, immigration, was brought up by an audience member, who asked Wicker to "talk about controlling the Southern border."

Wicker said he takes a no amnesty stance on illegal immigration. "For someone to come into the United States by breaking the law and then get any sort of advantage is wrong."

To prevent illegal immigration, Wicker said he supports putting fencing and troops along the Southern border, and using the e-verify program federally.

Energy and immigration, he said, are the two subjects he hears most from voters about.

Among the numerous other topics brought up at the meeting were the "fair tax" and housing "bail-outs".

Wicker said that he felt the "fair tax, "or the creation of a federal sales tax that would do away with internal revenue, was a misunderstood issue, and that it would be impossible to pass because it would require a repeal of the part of the constitution, which allows a federal income tax.

"It is so hard to amend the constitution," he said. "It takes two-thirds of the House, two-thirds of the Senate, and then it has to be ratified by three quarters of the states. In my lifetime, I don't see that."

He said a "flat or flatter tax" was more of a possibility as far as tax simplification.

Wicker defended the housing bill, saying it was not a bail-out, but a bi-partisan bill designed to protect the economy by helping to keep Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae from going under.

He added that home values in Mississippi have increased by 1 percent in the past 12 months.

Wicker was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to his Senate seat, which was vacated by Trent Lott in December. He will run in an election for the seat Nov. 4 against his Democratic opponent, former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove.

        

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