Rossi, Hastings visit Moses Lake
U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi, R-Bellevue, met with supporters in Moses Lake Friday morning.
MOSES LAKE — U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi and Congressman Doc Hastings, R-4th District, visited Moses Lake Friday.
MOSES LAKE - U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi and Congressman Doc Hastings, R-4th District, visited Moses Lake Friday.
Several Rossi and Hastings supporters came to the rally at Bob's Cafe to listen to the pair speak about their campaigns.
"Grant County has always been a major part of our campaign," Hastings said, thanking guests for their support.
He explained this year the U.S. House of Representatives budget won't be passed. There is a large budget deficit and representatives don't want to spend money, he added. The congressman said President Barack Obama wants to spend $3.8 trillion in the budget while planning to pay off expenses with $2.2 trillion in revenue.
"You do the math," Hastings urged. "You can't pay that over time."
He told the group of supporters that Rossi is the man needed to serve in Washington, D.C. Hastings explained when Rossi ran for Washington governor two years ago, he predicted the budget deficit and was concerned about overspending. Because of his foresight, Rossi is back in the political arena, and is needed, Hastings added.
The congressman introduced Rossi to supporters.
When Rossi asked the group, "Who would like to remove Patty Murray's tennis shoes from the U.S. Senate?" they responded with heavy applause.
In previous Murray campaigns, she referred to herself as "a mom in tennis shoes."
Rossi explained people are concerned with feeding their families and paying the mortgage. He said the problem relates to the unemployment rate, adding many skilled professionals either can't find jobs or are working jobs they are over-qualified for.
The business community is concerned about what new laws and taxes will be imposed on them resulting in halted expansions and no new job vacancies, he said. There is too much uncertainty on a weekly basis.
He said he is concerned with Murray, claiming she supports borrowing money from foreign nations.
Rossi said he is against new taxes and tax increases. He said when he was a senator he pushed to pass a budget that did not have any new tax increases. The budget passed, added the self-described "frugal" candidate.
He said he was in favor of passing a fiscally sound budget without tax increases at the expense of losing an election because he did not want to further burden people, including small business owners.
He recalled how his push for no tax increases led to a group of protestors singing a song calling him "mean and cheap." Rossi laughed when he explained he was in a building at the time the protestors were outside and stood before a window and pretended to conduct the tune using his hands.
"They realized I'm kind of bullet-proof," he said. "They couldn't do anything to get to me."
Rossi said he intends to save money if elected. He said he is worried the United States could be heading toward the financial climate comparable to France or Greece.
He said there are budget cuts that can be made. An example he provided was the practice of replacing government vehicles with new vehicles every two years. He said it does not have to be done every two years and could save millions of dollars.
Rossi said he believes Murray wants the government to take care of its people from the "cradle to the grave."
He said at best, the government can provide someone with a mediocre life. The candidate said people need to have the freedom to make their lives the best they can, such as through entrepreneurship. For a small business owner to thrive, they can't be burdened with too many taxes, he added.
Government has control of health care, vehicle dealerships, the banking industry and many private businesses, he continued.
"(That) needs to be peeled back," Rossi said.
He explained under the proposed healthcare, it would cost $150 million a year for Boeing alone. Rossi predicted the cost for the business would result in lost jobs and jobs not being created.
He said people should be allowed to purchase healthcare on their own terms and across state borders.
After his campaigning in Moses Lake, Rossi went to Othello to visit Pacific Produce.