LAKEPORT – For another year, Congressman Mike Thompson donned his red apron and – joined by local leaders – served up pasta and an update from Washington, DC, as part of his annual ravioli feed.
The 19th annual event was held once again at the Lake County Fairgrounds.
Hundreds of people gathered to enjoy local wines and specially prepared food for the event, served by Supervisors Jim Comstock, Anthony Farrington and Denise Rushing; Clearlake Mayor Judy Thein; and superintendent of schools candidate Wally Holbrook.
“We're stronger than we've been before,” Thompson told the crowd.
Last year, the big legislative issue was the bailout, this year it was health care.
Thompson – who is coming off of a tense, contentious time in Congress – said he wanted to get beyond the partisan politics.
He added, however, “I just want you to know that it's not just as easy as us wishing it to happen.”
After 14 months of working on health care reform, Thompson said the next big effort will be financial reform which, in part, will seek to protect people from predatory lenders.
He said he thinks efforts to repeal the health care legislation will fail, adding that President Barack Obama would not sign any such bill if it did pass Congress.
Health care reform isn't a new project in Washington, DC, Thompson said. “Access to quality, affordable health care started with a guy named Teddy Roosevelt.”
Roosevelt ran for a third term in 1912 as a candidate for the Progressive Party, the platform of which included several key issues, among them “Social and Industrial Justice,” according to a copy of the platform provided by the American Presidency Project.
That platform plank stated, in part, that the party supported the “protection of home life against the hazards of sickness, irregular employment and old age through the adoption of a system of social insurance adapted to American use.”
Thompson's comments about health care got a standing ovation from many people in the room.
He outlined benefits the bill will offer small businesses, rural areas and seniors, and said that, by 2014, 30 million more people will have health care coverage.
“We're already paying for all the people who aren't covered,” he said.
Thompson said he's seeing hopeful signs every day that things are getting better in the nation, a fact he credited to hard working people like those at the Saturday evening dinner.
The band “Public Nuisance” played the event, its members including Lakeport City Clerk Janel Chapman; Lakeport teacher Lisa Deppe and her husband Robert, a local veterans leader; retired Lakeport City Manager Randy Johnsen; April Knoll, wife of Lakeport Redevelopment Director Richard Knoll; and District Attorney Jon Hopkins.
Local 4-H members helped serve desserts and clean up, and live and silent auctions were held.
As is customary at the events, e-waste – old computers and electronics – are collected for recycling, some of which are reconditioned and then given to local nonprofits. One of the groups receiving a free computer was the local Avenue of the Flags group.
Thompson said they collected 3,000 pounds of e-waste Saturday, and over the past six years have brought in one million pounds of e-waste from around the district.
The event also completely recycles all of the materials it uses, he said.
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