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By Joel Frady -- Ashe Mountain Times

United States Congresswoman Virginia Foxx took some time to speak with the people of Ashe County during a visit to the Ashe County Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, April 8. During her visit, Foxx discussed the economy, insurance and a few random topics she was asked about.

She began the meeting with a message about lowering corporate taxes, which she believes would help bring businesses - and jobs - to both the state and the nation.

"The United States has the second highest corporate tax in the industrialized world," said Foxx, who added that North Carolina has the largest corporate tax in the southeast. "It's no secret about why Ireland became so successful in the past few years - they cut their corporate tax. When they did, everyone flocked to Ireland."

Foxx also encouraged entrepreneurship after talking with Sally Thiel and Joe Martin, both of Grassy Creek, about the currently out-of-use kitchen at Family Central.

"If we lose it we're never going to get it back, and that's a multi-million dollar facility," said Thiel. Foxx said that the facility could still be a valuable resource and reminded those present that "generally, entrepreneurship blossoms in a down economy" while asking the question "How do you take that kitchen and develop products that can be marketed as Ashe County or North Carolina products?"

Foxx suggested that they consider selling prepared or semi-prepared meals at a reasonable cost to help the families of Ashe County.

"There's so many women working and we are hearing so much about obesity and living off of [fast food]," she said, adding that fast food is alright "once in a while, but to eat that four or five nights a week is not good."

Foxx was also asked if she had any ideas on how to stimulate tourism.

"What we hope is that people are going to travel within the state rather than traveling outside the state," she said. "Again, that generally happens in a down economy."

She noted that local businesses that draw tourists, such as hotels, could bring people to the area by offering free rooms or entertainment on radio contests in larger cities such as Winston-Salem, Raleigh or Wilmington.
"The publicity is fantastic because the radio stations don't charge for that," said Foxx. "It's a part of their contest. I think that people up here are really missing the boat when they don't talk" to the radio stations to seek out "free publicity.

"Somebody's going to give up the room," Foxx continued, "but if you're a new place and you don't have anybody in the room anyway, it's not giving up anything.

Another local business owner asked what is being done to help small businesses with the rising costs of health insurance.

"If I'm going to keep competing, I've got to cut my costs," said one local business owner, who noted that "health insurance is next on the chopping block." He said they might have to drop health insurance for his employees because "we can't afford to pay the rates anymore. What we're going to end up doing is throwing health insurance at the federal government.

"What's happening to help us?" the business owner asked Foxx.

"Nothing," she said, adding that the problem is the federal government. "What we need is for the federal government to get out of the health care business and put it out in the private market for everybody."

Foxx noted that "won't happen," however, because "the President wants to go the other direction … he wants to put everyone in federal health care."

Foxx also briefly spoke about Social Security, which is "going to be broke in seven more years. By 2016, there's going to be more money going out than coming in to Social Security."

Foxx also spoke of her third term in Washington, D.C.

"I was appointed to the rules committee this year," she said. "The rules committee is known as the most powerful committee in Congress, but it's also one of the most demanding committees. Most of my attention has been spent on doing my rules committee duties." She noted that the committee looks at "as many as four bills" some weeks.

Still, she said she's feeling more comfortable in Washington than ever.

"The more you do something, the easier it gets," she said, "especially speaking in public."

Congresswoman Virginia Foxx can be reached at her Boone office at (828) 265-0240, her office in Washington at (202) 255-2071.