Quad City Times - Miller-Meeks Brings Campaign, Grassley To Bettendorf

News Article

By Thomas Geyer

Telling a crowd of about 50 people that she is tired of the policies leading to trickle-up poverty, Mariannette Miller-Meeks brought her congressional campaign to Happy Joe's Pizza & Ice Cream in Bettendorf on Friday.

Miller-Meeks was joined by U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, who said that while he is not on the ballot this election, "I have a responsibility to help other candidates when I can."

Miller-Meeks said that what is on the ballot are the policies of her opponent, Rep. Dave Loebsack, D-Iowa. The two are vying for Iowa's 2nd District seat.

"I'm a doctor who is interested in politics because of a government that is intruding on every aspect of our lives," Miller-Meeks said. She added that the Affordable Care Act has cost people their private health insurance and has caused their medical costs to skyrocket, and it is placing a big burden on small business owners.

She said that the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Act is stifling entrepreneurs who want to open a small business and has placed more power in the hands of a few banks.

"I don't know if the owner of Happy Joe's would be able to open it today," Miller-Meeks said. "I don't know if he could get the necessary loans from the banks under the current policies."

Miller-Meeks also said that by raising any taxes at this point would further stifle business, particularly small business.

"We are the true party of the poor and middle class," she said. "We want to give the people who want to succeed, who want to work their way up, the tools necessary for them to succeed."

As a military veteran, Miller-Meeks said that it was a mistake for U.S. armed forces to leave Iraq without a status of forces agreement that would have allowed the U.S. to remain as a security arrangement.

"I agree with arming the Kurds and the air strikes," she said. "I don't' see how we will help defeat ISIS without contributing some contingent of troops on the ground."

With the election on Tuesday, Miller-Meeks said she and her staff will continue campaigning to the end.

"You run until you break the tape," she said.

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