Steve Kagen

Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 661, I was present, placed my card into the voting device and did not look at the Board.

I voted ``yes.''

Mr. Chairman, tonight, well-meaning Members of Congress have been debating who will pay to clean up the mess left behind by President Bush's failed economic policies, policies that included two tax cuts to the richest Americans at the very same we were prosecuting two wars.

But we all know this: there is no free lunch. And yet the Senate is asking the House of Representatives to designate this bill as an emergency for purposes of pay-as-you-go, thereby failing to live within our means and driving our children deeper into debt.

The Senate also seeks to fix this emergency by immediately turning over $129 billion of money we don't have to the very wealthiest Americans, wrongly thinking that the Republican-inspired idea of trickle-down economics will work today when it failed miserably in the recent past.

Well, responsibility must begin somewhere. Let it begin here with me. The reality is there is no emergency that justifies handing out tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires at this time. Instead, we should bring our children home from wars overseas, and, after paying for these wars, then determine if we have any money left over for tax cuts to millionaires and billionaires.

America cannot afford tax cuts for the rich. We don't have the money. They do.

Madam Speaker, I rise here today to pay tribute to Mr. Tom Hinz as our superior Brown County Executive retires. During his time in office, Mr. Hinz has served the people and interests of Brown County to the highest degree, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this remarkable individual.

Tom Hinz has dedicated his life to public service. Well before he assumed his role as Brown County Executive, Tom served in the Army for three years followed by a long career in local law enforcement. Viewed as a leader by his peers, Mr. Hinz was encouraged to run for and was elected to be Brown County's Sherriff after more than 30 years with the police force. His service to the public continued as a member of the Brown County Board of Supervisors, where he served for two years before taking on the responsibility of being Brown County's Executive during what would become the most challenging economic environment in decades.

Community leaders, lawmakers and servants of the public across Northeast Wisconsin hold Tom Hinz in no less than the highest regard. A diplomatic problem solver and skilled manager, Tom has been an extraordinary asset to the community surrounding Green Bay and the 8th Congressional District of Wisconsin's largest county.

Among his many accomplishments, Mr. Hinz launched the LEAN initiative in Brown County in 2009. This implemented techniques that have for years produced impressive results in manufacturing environments, and adapted them to county government. As a result county employees are involved in an effective process that improves quality, reduces costs, and strengthens customer service.

Tom was also a key player in the construction of the Brown County Community Treatment Center, the new 911 Communications Center and the ratification of a long-overdue service agreement between Brown County and the Oneida Tribe of Indians.

Madam Speaker, as Mr. Tom Hinz celebrates his retirement, I ask my colleagues to join me in saluting this exemplary citizen and his lifetime of service to the nation and the communities of Northeast Wisconsin.