Democratic Congressman Jim Matheson visited UVSC Friday, Feb. 9, 2006, voicing his opinions on issues such as energy, transportation, the budget and the war in Iraq.

Matheson, who is in his third term as the representative for Utah's 2nd Congressional District, serves on the House Transportation Committee and the House Financial Services Committee. His district, which consists of 15 counties, includes the eastern and southern portions of the state, including St. George.

Matheson worked for various energy companies for 13 years. He talked about what might be the fuel of the future, citing ethanol and hydrogen among alternatives being explored.

"Congress should be funding basic research," he said.

The study of how to get hydrogen from water instead of fossil fuels is one area of energy research that he said could use funding.

Matheson said President Bush was wise to discuss long-term energy solutions as opposed to quick fixes in his State of Union address. Among the issues faced now is the nation's dependence on foreign oil. Matheson said we have to find other sources of energy because the United States does not have enough oil.

"You can't drill your way to independence," Matheson said.

As an example of the importance of transportation, he said a five-minute delay for UPS and its delivery system could cost the company billions.

Among the solutions being considered for funding roads are changes in gas taxes and toll roads.

Matheson criticized "goofy projects" proposed in bills, specifically mentioning an Alaskan "bridge to nowhere." The bridge, projected to cost from millions to billions of dollars, would link an island with about 50 inhabitants to the Alaskan mainland. He said it was embarrassing and gave Congress a black eye.

Matheson said he was not happy with the partisanship and polarization in the government. He complained about the number of politicians who follow one extreme or the other, while most of America is in the middle. Matheson also said it is important for politicians to have accountability, mentioning an anonymous congressman who bought a yacht with public funds and had to resign.

In spite of these criticisms, Matheson emphasized that government decisions can have important effects on people's lives, and assured the audience that they could have a good relationship with their government.

"We're the open government people. Remember, that's what we're all about," Matheson said. "It's important to be engaged [in politics]."

Matheson went on to talk about the nation's budget and the war in Iraq. He said the president did not factor in enough money to support the troops long-term. He said it would be a mistake to have an early withdrawal of the troops in Iraq, and that any withdrawal should not be based on a calendar. However, he said he believes the war in Iraq could be handled better.

Matheson also discussed the deepening national debt.

"Our debt is as about 8.2 trillion dollars now," Matheson said. "Everyone in this room owes about $27,400."

Matheson said this resulted from five straight years of major deficits, and that it will take some very tough decisions to balance the budget.

"My concern is we are ensuring a tax burden on future generations [who will] incur the debt for our consumption," he said.

Matheson said Social Security must also be dealt with, but it shouldn't be too difficult to fix.

(For comments, e-mail Matt Hodge at matthewhodge@byu.net)

Copyright Brigham Young University 14 Feb 2006