Barr holds town hall
Joined on stage by Stupak
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CALUMET -- “This is a ‘we campaign,’ not a ‘me campaign,'” was the message First Congressional District Democratic Candidate Callie Barr repeatedly stated to the several dozen people attending her “Town Hall for Change” Sunday at the Calumet Theatre. Joining Barr on stage was former Congressman Bart Stupak, (D-Menominee).
Barr said incumbent Congressman Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) does not act in the best interest of the district, criticizing several votes Bergman has made and sighting his support for many of President Donald Trump’s actions.
“We have a Congressman who laid down, when he should have stood up.” Likening Bergman to a “Disney Level Villain,” Barr highlighted several problems within the federal government saying, “We have arrived here on purpose. We need to get out on purpose.”
Touting what she termed “an affordable life” platform, Barr spoke for about 40 minutes addressing a variety of issues, before opening taking questions from the audience.
On the topic of healthcare, Barr said what needs to be done immediately is restore Medicaid funding which was cut by the Trump administration and, she said, was supported by Bergman.
“It’s devastating for our rural hospitals,” she said. Barr said when she talks to hospital CEOs who are planning for the future, she often hears “baton down the hatches until sanity is restored.”
Barr expressed concern about reduction of healthcare in rural areas. “Already we’ve lost services. We’ve lost three labor and deliveries in the past year and a half,” referring to the elimination of obstetric services at Aspirus hospitals in Laurium and Ironwood, and the closure of the Ontonagon hospital.
Barr also called for the restoration of Affordable Care Act (ACA) subsidies. “We were hit hard by this, harder than any other area of the state.” She said the first congressional district is the oldest district in the state, which drew some applause from the crowd. “But what that means is that when folks were priced out of their health insurance, because so many people are on fixed incomes, those increases were something they couldn’t handle.”
County Commissioner Gretchen Janssen asked Barr about balancing environmental concerns with the need for jobs in the region, referring to mining projects in the western U.P. Barr said it isn’t a matter of one issue versus the other, but a case of all of the above.
She said when you look at mining, for instance, you’re taking into account national security, referring to circumstances that occurred doing the COVID-19 pandemic. “We didn’t have access to rare earth materials and we were put at a disadvantage.” She also stressed the need for environmental protect when moving forward with mining. “We need to make sure we protect our lakes, our Great Lakes, our resources here at home. That we protect what we have for our kids and their grandkids.”
Barr said she supports a clean energy transition, citing the need for copper in clean energy production such as batteries and windmills. “We also need job training. So, as we make this transition to clean energy, we have to take an ‘all of the above’ approach. One thing should not have to come at the expense of something else. We need to be looking at all of these factors, especially here where we have so much resources and we are stewards of so much resources such as the Great Lakes."
Richard Canavez of Keweenaw Indivisible told Barr she is perceived as a “Status Quo candidate,” a description Barr found puzzling. “I’m not sure what folks think by that,” Barr said.
“I don’t take corporate money, often I think that’s the first thing that comes to mind and I think there’s been a lot of misinformation that’s been pushed out about that, because our campaign has been very successful in fundraising.”
Barr said that success points to four years of building a massive grass roots campaign. “With folks who believe we can take this seat. She said nobody wants money out of politics more than somebody who has to raise it.
Stupak also refuted Barr being referred to as an “establishment candidate.”
"She has a passion for this district, a passion for the issues,” the nine-term congressman said. “She’s anything but an establishment candidate and the only democrat that can win.”
Barr will face self-identified Democratic Socialist Kyle Blomquist of Iron Mt. and Wayne Stiles from Traverse City in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary. Bergman is facing challenges from Justin Michal from Grayling and Matthew DenOtter of Boyne City.