Sen. Kerry draws crowd to Fall River Chamber of Commerce event
http://www.heraldnews.com/newsnow/x299885180/Sen-Kerry-draws-crowd-to-Fall-River-Chamber-of-Commerce-event
Speaking at the Fall River Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the topic of the economy was a perfect match for U.S. Sen. John Kerry.
The Massachusetts Democrat was keynote speaker Friday morning at the chambers 101st annual meeting. Kerry spoke about the challenges Congress is facing as it tries to stabilize the economy, reduce the growing deficit and to build a system that allows Democrats and Republicans to work together.
The veteran senator talked about how earmarks, when used properly, can help spur growth in communities by improving failing infrastructure and other projects, especially in poorer communities.
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Kerry told the audience of approximately 200 people about the importance of creating an infrastructure bank that will leverage private-sector funds to create loans issued by the Treasury Department for projects that will create a revenue stream. Kerry said the bank will be nonprofit, unlike the Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae loan programs used to supply housing loans.
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http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20120317/NEWS/203170333
Kerry calls for a balanced approach on federal deficit
U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., told business leaders and local officials Friday the nation needs to find a way to a fiscally sustainable future without depriving communities of necessary services.
Speaking at the Fall River Area Chamber of Commerce and Industry's annual meeting, Kerry argued the government needs to strike a balance between bringing in more revenue and making cuts to reduce the deficit.
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The senator defended the use of earmarks, in which lawmakers direct federal dollars to a specific project in their home state.
"We used to be able to target money for communities based on the urgency of need and on the compelling arguments about a particular project," he said.
Kerry said he doesn't want to get rid of earmarks, just the midnight deals that gave them a bad image. He said those allocations didn't cause the country's financial problems. Instead, he pointed to rising entitlement costs, two wars and Bush-era tax cuts as the source of large deficits.
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