Amy Klobuchar (file photo)
Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar visited flooded areas of southwest and northwest Iowa this weekend, emphasizing the need to improve flood protection measures and make “climate smart” infrastructure choices.
Klobuchar, a U.S. Senate from Minnesota, has unveiled a $1 trillion plan to improve the nation’s infrastructure. It includes expanding rural broadband service and Klobuchar went to the Farmer Mutual Telephone Company office in Stanton to meet with local officials and business owners.
“Kids that grow up in rural Iowa — and southwest Iowa — should be able to live here,” Klobuchar said. “And the only way you can do that these days is if you have the internet.”
Klobuchar made the same point Saturday during an appearance at the “Heartland Forum” in Storm Lake. Klobuchar said there are a host of issues Democrats can and should address that are important to rural America.
“There is rural housing. There is rural child caare and there is, of course, this connectivity and broadband, then this issue of monopolies and anti-trust,” Klobuchar said. “When you talk to people who live in the rural areas, they’ll often mention the Farm Bill, but they’ll talk about a whole lot of other things.”
Klobuchar proposes repealing some Trump-era tax cuts in order to invest in critical infrastructure. She said Americans, no matter where they live, care about upgrades to municipal water supplies and inland waterways as well as mass transit and rural broadband.
“I think people want to be able to get out of traffic jams. I think a lot of people would like to work at home more, no matter where they live,” Klobuchar said. “I think that people want to get on subways that aren’t broken down and it’s just a fundamental bread-and-butter issue.”
Three other presidential candidates — Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, former Maryland Congressman John Delaney and former San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro — also appeared at the ag-issues forum in Storm Lake Saturday.
(By Mike Peterson, KMA, Shenandoah)