STORY CITY, Iowa -- Bernie Kaye and Richard Barkema were just two of several people misinformed about the nature of Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin's visit to Story City Wednesday afternoon.
Harkin intended to do a simple tour of Story County's Broad Street to look at several buildings funded by the Main Street Iowa program, but some expected him to host a town hall meeting on health care.
Kaye, an Ames resident, waited for Harkin on a bench on Broad Street, hoping to ask him some questions. He was waiting, even after he found out there would be no town meeting, when Barkema approached him.
"Is Harkin coming along this way?" Barkema asked. "I'd like to ask him a question."
Kaye looked up at his visitor.
"Sir," Kaye said, "I've got a fiver in my pocket, and I don't know you from Adam, but my fiver says not only he doesn't acknowledge your question, but you don't get anything close to an answer."
There were more than 30 people crammed into the Greater Chamber Connection office when Harkin arrived, some there to show their support, some to voice their concerns, and others just to catch a glimpse of the senator.
Harkin started by commending Story City's participation in Main Street Iowa and apologized to those who had the wrong impression about his visit.
"I did not bill this as a town meeting," Harkin said. "I billed it as an economic development tour of Story City, but evidently WHO Radio and some other people put the word out that this was a town meeting."
However, Harkin promised those in attendance that he would set aside time after his tour to answer any questions people might have about health care reform.
After the tour, he kept his promise. He explained some details about health care bills under consideration in Congress, fielded questions about his own health care plan and faced down accusations of socialism.
Harkin said he has kept an open mind on the health care debate, but he said he's sure of one thing: Change is necessary.
"The status quo is unacceptable," Harkin said. "We just can't continue to go on like this."
Harkin answered questions for more than 10 minutes after aids began urging him to move on, and Kaye finally got a chance to ask Harkin his question about health care reform: How will the government pay for it?
Harkin said some possible options included taxing premium health care benefits, raising taxes on alcohol and adding a penny to the tax on bottled soft drinks.
Kaye said he wasn't satisfied with Harkin's response, but he appreciated that Harkin took his question.
"As long as people keep talking and he's talking back, we're OK," Kaye said, "But when people stop talking, you need to watch out for the silent ones."
On the tour that preceded Harkin's discussion of health care, Story City Chamber Director Carolyn Honeycutt highlighted several buildings on Broad Street that had received U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development challenge grants because of the Main Street Iowa program.
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