https://www.macon.com/2011/11/12/1782408/scott-town-hall-meeting-focuses.html

WARNER ROBINS -- About 75 people came to Warner Robins City Hall on Friday for a town hall meeting with U.S. Rep. Austin Scott that focused largely jobs and the economy.

While some of the discussion concerned the Air Force’s cost-cutting efforts that will mean a loss of 600 jobs at Robins Air Force Base, questions from the audience reflected considerable angst about the economy in general.

Much of audience appeared supportive of Scott and applauded many of his comments, but one questioner took him to task for his opposition to President Obama’s jobs bill. Scott, a Republican who represents the 8th District, responded that the president has failed to give enough details of how the money will be spent.

“We have asked the president, our office, on multiple occasions, give us the formula under which funds in the jobs bills will be distributed, and the answer we get each and every time is ‘We’ll get back to you.’ ”

He began the forum with a slide show that included graphics depicting how federal money is spent and how the deficit has grown through the years. He said Republicans and Democrats have responsibility for deficit spending.

He recalled how as a member of the Georgia legislature, the body was required by the state constitution to balance the budget, which is what he said led to members ultimately putting differences aside to reach consensus.

Spotting state Rep. Larry O’Neal, R-Bonaire, and state Sen. Ross Tolleson, R-Perry, in the audience, Scott asked them if they could have balanced the budget each year without a constitutional mandate. Both emphatically shook their heads no.

Some questioners expressed a desire to see Republicans and Democrats working together better, something Scott said he would like to see as well. He said he is open to compromise in deficit reduction efforts.

“I have not signed any letter that takes anything off of the table, including revenues,” he said.

Air Force veteran Pat Delaney, a Warner Robins resident, told Scott the current stalemate in Congress is the result of Democrats and Republicans sticking too strongly to their principles rather than compromising.

“Everybody has got to give to make this country survive this crisis, or we aren’t going to have America as we know it to worry about,” she said.

One questioner mentioned the lost jobs at Robins, and asked Scott how much worse it could be if a special bipartisan committee fails to reach an agreement on $1.2 trillion in deficit spending over the next 10 years. Legislation passed earlier this year requires the committee to reach an agreement by Nov. 23, or automatic cuts kick in that would more than double the current Department of Defense cuts. Scott referred to it as “sequestration,” and said he voted against the legislation that established it.

“My job is to stop sequestration,” he told the questioner, drawing applause from the audience.