Giffords addresses Rotary

Monday, May 12, 2008

By Adam Bernal
Vail Sun

Congressional District 8 Rep. Gabrielle Giffords met with the Cienega Rotary Club last Friday and discussed the environment, current developments and upcoming presidential election.

During a sit-down lunch discussion at the Rancho Del Lago Golf Club in Vail, Giffords noted the difficulties people are having with gas prices continuing to rise and the increased amount of competition for fossil fuel energy.

“It’s going to be harder to compete for fossil fuels,” Giffords said, on what to expect in the future.

To become less dependent on fossil fuels, Giffords stressed the importance of renewable energy and benefits solar power can have in a state like Arizona. She said there are also plans to build a solar power facility near Gila Bend that will provide a good source of extra power and be able to charge close to 70,000 homes per year.

Giffords said that having a larger emphasis on alternative energy can help bolster national security and make the United States not have to rely as heavily on other countries for energy. She said there has been many discussions about the warming of the climate and feels no doubt that people contribute to the heating of the planet.

Giffords feels that climate change is an important issue that needs attention from large companies who have problems with pollution. It’s important for these companies to be proactive in controlling pollution and it may be necessary to use incentives to get them to do it, she said.

On the presidential elections coming up this fall, Giffords said she has a lot of admiration for Sen. Hillary Clinton but feels her chances to secure the democratic nomination may be dwindling. Considering how long it’s taken to decide the democratic nominee, she believes there should be some kind of decision in the race as soon as possible.

With the direction the country seems to be going in, Giffords said the U.S. is going to need some strong leadership to face issues that will come to light in the future. She said she gets more of that leadership feeling from Obama at this point and supports him.

Giffords said that health care is also an issue she is very passionate about, especially for

young children in dire need of medical assistance.

“Any child who gets sick should be able to go see a doctor,” Giffords said.

Giffords expressed disappointment with the current administration’s work on health care issues and feels not much else will be done before a new candidate assumes the office. It is especially important for children under 18 and those over 65 years of age be able to get the health care they need, she said.

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