Democrat Bill Maske has entered the race for the U.S. House of Representatives calling for a New Deal style program that will put Americans back to work.
''I will work to see that programs are implemented that open the doors of prosperity to working Americans,'' Maske said Wednesday morning in Fort Dodge.
He visited the local Democratic Party headquarters as he announced his bid for the seat held by U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, R-Ames.
Latham will seek a ninth term, although he has not made a formal announcement yet, according to spokesman James Carstensen. So far, Maske is the only candidate for the Democratic nomination in that district.
Maske, of Truro, hopes to represent the 4th Congressional District, which includes Webster County and all of its surrounding counties.
The candidate said he will focus on the economy, unemployment and health care.
He said he wants to start a federal program to hire unemployed people to repair the nation's infrastructure and national parks.
According to Maske, the money from the federal stimulus program went ''into the pockets of fat cats'' who did not create enough jobs. Therefore, he said, the government must step in and create jobs.
He added that he favors more government oversight to protect Americans from ''corporate greed.''
''I don't call that big government,'' he said. ''I call that better government.''
Maske said he wants a universal health care system to cover all Americans.
He said the fact that a public option might not be included in the health care bill now before Congress is ''unacceptable.''
Maske, who has been an educator for 34 years, said he wants to replace the federal No Child Left Behind law with a program that measures student progress without using outdated assessment methods.
''The greatest defense for our nation and the greatest hope for our world is an educated populace,'' he said.
He said he believes the United States must focus on humanitarian rather than military efforts abroad.
He described President Barack Obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan as ''a difficult pill to swallow.''
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net
