Lugar's Southern Swing Highlights Education, Jobs, Food Banks

Thank you for reading The Lugar Letter and this special September issue highlighting Senator Lugar's Southern Indiana swing. In August, Senator Lugar discussed education, the economy, health care, and the importance of donating to food banks with thousands of Hoosiers throughout Indiana in a series of public meetings in Indianapolis, Crane, Bloomington, Evansville, and Jeffersonville. He also met with constituents at his Evansville office. As always, if you have any questions or comments to share with Senator Lugar please contact him.

Indianapolis Indians Food Drive

Before heading south, Senator Lugar joined with the Indianapolis Indians and WTHR TV for a food drive to benefit Gleaners Food Bank of Indianapolis on Saturday, August 8.

Gracie Nolan, a visitor to Gleaners' Kids Café and recipient of the their backsacks program at LifeBridge Community, threw out the first pitch.

LifeBridge Community Board member, Melissa Todd; Senator Lugar; Gracie Nolan; and Lisa Parker (Gracie's mother)

The game was an exciting one, with the Indians defeating the Charlotte Knights 2-1, and the generosity of the fans was a wonderful addition to the day.

Gleaners' Kids Café after-school and summer program serves hungry or at-risk children in low-income households. Each school day, and during the summer months, the program gives children a heavy afternoon snack or a light meal—and a safe place to go after school. On average, Kids Café serves nearly 55,000 meals per year.

The BackSacks program provides children in low-income areas with six weekend meals. A donated backpack is filled each Friday (and before holidays) with kid-friendly food that’s nutritious and shelf-stable—ensuring that each child has enough to eat during weekends and holidays.

Bloomington

On Monday, August 10, Senator Lugar keynoted the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce's 2009 Federal Focus Luncheon on the campus of Indiana University.

Senator Lugar's remarks focused on the need to improve the economy before addressing major policy reforms which entail further government spending.

Senator Lugar specifically discussed his opposition to health care reform, the cap and trade bill passed by the House of Representatives and the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as card check legislation. (In case you missed it in last month's issue, Senator Lugar wrote an op-ed that was sent to every Indiana newspaper discussing why he opposes health care reform.)

Following the luncheon with the Bloomington Chamber, Senator Lugar visited the FARMbloomington restaurant in downtown Bloomington where Chef Daniel Orr serves the Lugar Burger.

On May 22, 2008, Senator Lugar served Chef Orr's Hoosier-raised bison burgers to his Republican colleagues at the Thursday Club Luncheon. The Thursday Club Lunch began as a small group of Republican senators meeting in their personal offices for lunch. Today, senators rotate hosting duties of the weekly lunches, sharing food and gifts that represent their home states.

Following last year's Thursday Club Lunch, Chef Orr renamed the burger in honor of Senator Lugar, and on May 6, 2009, Food Network Magazine named the Lugar Bison Burger the best burger in Indiana.

Crane

Indiana is fortunate to have several important and impressive military installations. Back in March, Senator Lugar saw the Indiana National Guard's Camp Atterbury and visited the Muscatatuck Urban Training Center.

Last month, on the way from Bloomington to Evansville, Senator Lugar met with staff at Crane's Naval Surface Warfare Center. Focusing on the Energy, Power & Interconnect Technologies Division, Senator Lugar witnessed advanced research and development in battery technology.

The scientists and researchers at Crane test new battery technology for weaknesses that might endanger military personnel in the field. Additionally, they explore new methods and technologies that will increase battery life and storage capacity to increase the operability of satellite military bases and decrease our military's dependence on fuel - and decrease the need for convoys of fuel trucks.

Evansville

Bright and early Tuesday morning, Senator Lugar keynoted the Evansville Vanderburgh School Corporation's Back-to-School event.

Under the guidance of Superintendent Vince Bertram, this exciting event brings together nearly every employee of the school corporation for a convocation to kick-off the school year.

In his remarks, Senator Lugar commended Dr. Bertram, the School Corporation, the city and the community on their ability to work together on so many different endeavors that benefit students:

"Not surprisingly, Evansville goes beyond school nutrition to address children’s health. 
I was thrilled to see in March that the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) selected Evansville Community schools as one of the top six school districts in the country doing excellent work in coordinated school health, which culminated in a 2-day site visit with CDC staff.

"Schools – particularly teachers – cannot be expected to solve the social, physical, and emotional needs of every child. However, the school can serve as the hub in which families, health care workers, the media, religious organizations, youth-serving community organizations, and young people themselves can work together to address the challenges facing students. This is the definition of coordinated school health.

"If a child cannot see well and needs glasses, he is not going to reach his potential. If a child does not have adequate clothing or shelter, his progress will be hindered. If a child does not have family involvement or at least one caring adult in his life, he is not going to learn to his ability. 

"With the creation of Evansville’s “Big Table” or School and Community Partnership, you have been working together to address the whole needs of the child. I understand that the School Community Council includes more than 70 organizations as partners who are investing in Evansville students. This is an outstanding accomplishment."

Following the convocation, Senator Lugar spoke at the lunch meeting of the Evansville Rotary at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum and took questions from the audience. He then headed a few blocks north, under the Lloyd Expressway, for a tour of Berry Plastics and a discussion with employees in the break room.

Wednesday morning started off on the west side of town at Mater Dei High School where Senator Lugar met with the school's Super Mileage Challenge team.

Already having earned a Lugar Energy Patriot Award, Senator Lugar visited with the students and advisors to personally congratulate them on their successes. Under the guidance of Principal Tad Dickel and with assistance from Bob Schleter, Dan Ritter and Bob Niesen, this impressive group of students discussed the process by which they construct and modify vehicles from past years to compete in the IMSTEA Super Mileage Challenge.

Working on a shoestring budget and with the generous support of family and friends, these students construct vehicles that exceed 1,400 miles per gallon and defeat college teams in national competitions.

Shifting gears from fuel efficiency to food, Senator Lugar went downtown to the Old National Bank building for a fundraiser for Tri-State Food Bank. Serving more than 22,600 Hoosiers in Southwest Indiana, 97 percent of Tri-State's resources go to feeding people. Senator Lugar discussed the need to donate to food banks all year round, especially in times of economic difficulty when demand rises.

Staying downtown, Senator Lugar went down the block to meet with the Evansville Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. After offering brief remarks, Senator Lugar took questions from the members.

Heading north from downtown, Senator Lugar then went to Ivy Tech's beautiful new campus for a jointly sponsored Skills Summit.

As Hoosiers look to refocus and refine their job skills, this summit brought together experts for seminars on résumé building and effective interviewing tactics. Senator Lugar spoke to the people assembled and drew a connection between their productivity and our national economy:

"You need to know who you are, what you have to offer, what sort of skills you are prepared to undertake. Even a fair sense of your limitations so that you're not misleading in the process. And, likewise, how you come across with other people...

"Your success in getting a job is so fundamental to our success as a nation, is so fundamental that it cannot be overemphasized."

Following the Skills Summit, Senator Lugar met with representatives of the Southwest Indiana Disabled American Veterans. Initiated by Commander Charles Parker, who presented a plaque to Senator Lugar for his service to veterans, Senator Lugar talked with the veterans about his experience in the Navy as an intelligence briefer and listened to each of their stories.

Jeffersonville

On Thursday, after two full days of events in Evansville, Senator Lugar headed east to Jeffersonville to keynote a luncheon with OneSouthern Indiana, the combined economic development council and Chamber of Commerce for Floyd and Clark counties.

Senator Lugar continued his message of focusing on the economy before considering major policy reforms that would require additional government spending.

Stay up to date with Senator Lugar:

• Website: http://lugar.senate.gov
• Newsletter: http://lugar.senate.gov/newsletter
• Twitter: http://twitter.com/senatorlugar
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/senatorlugar
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Richard-Lugar/28566300472