Roskam lays it on the line for U-46 students
Call them tapped in.
Social studies teachers Rod Watson and CJ Nemec have long sought to make politics come alive for their summer school students at South Elgin High. So, when the opportunity to have students participate in a conference call with Congressman Peter Roskam arose, the teachers jumped at it. The Wheaton Republican Tuesday morning called the students, and spent the better part of an hour answering their questions and giving his take on current issues. Here are their questions, and Roskam's responses:
Q. Erin Olson: What's the status of the President Obama's new health care plan?
A. Literally as we speak the president's plan has still not been introduced in its final form. We can't debate that until it's introduced.
Q. Evan Sale: How do you feel the government should define marriage?
A. One man and one woman. We're not well served to redefine marriage for the sake of political correctness.
Q. Rod Watson: But what about gay rights?
A. Gay and lesbian demonstrators have the ability to make their voices heard. I think it becomes a slippery slope when we carve out a "special right" based on behavior. The gay and lesbian community has not been able to demonstrate that they've lost out of certain opportunities, like educational opportunities, as certain other groups, like blacks, have.
Q. Mimi Torres: What are your ideas to help end the recession?
A. We should not to continue to pile on more spending. Number one, do no harm. Number two, we need to take the burden off small business, by reducing their taxes and health care costs.
Q. Yuri Morales: What's your viewpoint on illegal immigration?
A. Illegal immigration is one of the biggest breakdowns of the federal government. ... Moving forward, we need to give American businesses the tools they need to better know who they're hiring. Regarding the border, the fence is working.
Q. Rod Watson: A number of students have questions about what you're doing to combat all of the recent gang violence in Hanover Park.
A. It really is a heartbreaking situation. This is an area where everyone needs to be working together. Mayor (Rodney) Craig, local residents and the school district are working hard. There are no easy answers, but I'm working with the mayor on this.
Q. Evan Sale: There's so much corruption in local government. Why does corruption start, and where does it start?
A. Elected officials often reflect the general population. Some are sincere, but others are motivated for the wrong reasons, and that manifests itself in politics. You see what has happened with former governors Ryan and Blagojevich ... thankfully we have a system of checks and balances.
After Roskam disconnected, students had the chance to debrief as a group about his responses. "He didn't actually answer a lot of questions," said Elizabeth Myer, who posed a question to Roskam about tariffs.
Sale, however, noted that he thought the congressman was "being real" in his response about health care.
Watson, who teaches during the year at Gifford Street Alternative High School in Elgin, said his classes have also had the opportunity to chat with Democratic state Sen. Michael Noland and former state Rep. Ruth Munson, both of Elgin. He hopes to set up a session with Hanover Park Mayor Rodney Craig in the near future. "I'm trying to expose them to all different viewpoints and levels of leadership," he said.