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Politics & Government

Congressman Lynch Speaks to Westwood Residents

Lynch spoke on a wide variety of issues as part of a "Congress on your Corner" event Thursday at the Westwood Senior Center.

Residents in Westwood engaged in a discussion with Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-Boston) on Thursday morning at the as part of a "Congress on your Corner" event. 

Below are a variety of local, national and international issues Lynch spoke to Thursday. 

National Budget Cuts:

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Lynch explained that currently for every dollar that the United States government spends, 40 cents is owed to various areas such as China. He called it “running up our nation’s credit card.”

By Nov. 23, a super committee needs to present congress with a bill for $1.5 trillion worth of cuts, he said. If a bill is not presented, by law there will be an across the board cut implemented of $1.2 trillion. Cuts could include No Child Left Behind, federal transportation bill and the defense budget among others.

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“This is a very arbitrary way to cut funding, a very blunt instrument you might say,” said Lynch. “It is a big need for concern.”

The War in Iraq:

Lynch has made 14 trips to Iraq and is part of an oversight committee. His last two trips have been overseeing the withdrawal process, where he said they are working on “sending the kids home.” He also said that generators and equipment are either being sent back to the United States or forwarded to Afghanistan, while some is obsolete.

Lynch noted that the nation went from spending $10 billion per month in Iraq to next year’s projected budget of $6 billion for the entire year. He commended President Barack Obama’s efforts and gave him credit for sticking to his plan. Lynch explained that as of Sept. 1, there were 31,000 troops in Iraq compared to 160,000 only two years ago.

“Having met many times with the Council of Ministers . . . their form of parliament . . . their members of parliament are fully supportive of our withdrawal and they are saying let’s keep going,” said Lynch

Afghanistan

Lynch pointed out that Afghanistan is a bit of a different story than Iraq, noting that more withdrawals are scheduled but not going as smoothly as expected. He said that troops have been diminishing, but at a much slower rate.

One problem, he said, is putting Afghans in a position to handle their owner border patrol and police. He noted that the recruits’ literacy rate and ability to count is below 15 percent, which makes it very difficult to train.

Lynch also pointed out that while the Taliban is certainly dangerous, much of the problem in Afghanistan surrounds corruption in their own banks and government.

Medicare/Prescription Drugs

“The problem is, you see these furniture ads at 75 percent off, and you go to the store and they mark the thing up 200 percent, and then cut back 75 percent and they tell you they are giving you a deal," Lynch said. "That’s what you are dealing with . . . Wait a minute, you gave 50 percent back and you are still paying $700.”

Lynch touched upon the fact that prescriptions are actually fairly low when it comes to the Veteran's Association He said that VA doctors write millions of prescriptions per year and they can cost veterans only $8 or $9 per month. This relates to prescriptions that normally cost $400-$500 so he called it a good deal.

Immigration:

“We have to protect our borders," Lynch said. "Not only Canada but the Mexican border as well. We have to make sure there’s integrity of our borders.”

Lynch also touched on the fact that there are employers who have exploited illegal immigrants for much lower wages. He said that this is something that people often conveniently forget, and that these laws need to be enforced as well.

Local Issue: Dangerous Traffic at Highland Glen

Several Westwood residents commented on the fact that there is a dangerous area in front of . There is a pole in front, owned by Verizon, that residents recommended a reflector or mirror be put up on.

Lynch said that he would speak with Verizon and also deferred to State Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham), who was also present, to address the issue.

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