Congressman Tom O’Halleran (second from left) came to Holbrook and stopped in for a visit at Pat’s House of Originals, where he met (left to right) Councilwoman Francie Payne, owner Pat Pogue and Cathy Gray.
Congressman Tom O’Halleran paid a visit to his constituents recently, taking a tour of District 1 after three weeks in Boston and Washington, D.C., where he set up his office in the Cannon House Office Building and was briefed on activities taking place at the nation’s capital. O’Halleran will divide his time between that office, his home in Sedona and offices throughout his district, which is the 10th largest land district in the country.
Although the area may be vast, O’Halleran says the needs of the people in this district have a lot in common. “The priority is to have good jobs and build a strong economy,” he explained, while visiting at Thanks A Latte, the small coffee shop at Pat’s House of Originals in Holbrook.
O’Halleran spent the first part of the trip in the western and northern portions of his district, listening as his constituents expressed their concerns about big industry job loss and the potential closure of coal-fired power plants in the region. “I’m not in support of the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) plan, but we have to ensure that the infrastructure here at Cholla Power Plant and other plants are kept in operation,” he said, acknowledging the concern that a conversion to natural gas will require less infrastructure and provide fewer jobs.
As he addresses the concern of keeping jobs, O’Halleran is also looking toward the development of new jobs. He said that transportation improvement projects along Interstate 40 will bring short-term project jobs, but permanent jobs are needed and to do that, people in the rural areas need to come together.
“Our standard of living has dropped considerably and middle class jobs are the key. Rural Arizona has a great deal to offer with infrastructure, affordable development and a strong workforce. This is something that we need to push forward with by working together,” he said.
O’Halleran also believes that communities such as those along Route 66 need to invest in their own potential. “Here in Holbrook there are a lot of inexpensive buildings that could be put to good use. There are thousands of tourists coming by here each year. Developing small businesses to attract them and creating a better way to reach out to them should be an important part of business growth,” he said, referencing towns such as Seligman and Williams that have successfully tapped into their communities’ rich histories and have invested strongly in tourism.
He also understands that for small communities trying to reach out to visitors and potential business investors there can be challenges. The solution, he believes, is to bring those communities together. “We need to come together as a group to address these issues. We will have a greater voice and get more attention if we work together,” he said.
Other key issues that O’Halleran will address in his term are affordable education, and securing Social Security and Medicare for those who rely on it. “(Speaker of the House) Paul Ryan has been discussing the privatization of Social Security and Medicare, and I am going to work to stop that,” said O’Halleran. “There are a lot of people living on Social Security in this district, so this is an important issue for me.”
Veterans affairs and medical availability for veterans are also top priorities for O’Halleran. “Veterans issues are a big concern for me. Forty-five percent of my constituency is affected by this. The mismanagement of the VA hospitals around the country is unacceptable and has a detrimental impact to the health and well being of our veterans,” said the new congressman.
“Arizona has a lot to offer. The key is to work together as a cohesive unit to achieve what we need for all of rural Arizona.”
To contact Congressman O’Halleran’s office regarding issues and ideas, call (928) 275-1603 or visit his website at tomohalleran.com.
