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WORTHINGTON -- Congressman Tim Walz's town hall meeting in Worthington on Saturday was all substance and good manners.
Some similar gatherings held by his colleagues around the country have not been so Minnesota Nice. Left-wing activists, taking a play from the Tea Party, have disrupted those events with boisterous protests, targeting Republicans and their support for President Donald Trump. This has led some lawmakers to temporarily suspend such open forums.
Walz, a Democrat, had no problems on Saturday as he fielded questions from an audience of more than 60 people. The former school teacher even happily touted citizens' different opinions and ideology as a national strength, and noted that things in the country are not as dire, nor are people as divided, as the cynics suggest.
"It's bad?" he asked rhetorically. "Well, it was pretty bad in 1861, (the year the Civil War began)."
Worthington Mayor Mike Kuhle introduced Walz to the crowd, and talked a little bit about his city.
"In Worthington, we value the immigrant community," he said. "We value the diversity."
Kuhle noted that immigrants have played an important role in the local economy, filling jobs, opening businesses and boosting the population. He acknowledged the city is a little on edge not knowing what is going to happen at the federal level with immigration issues.
Audience members too wanted to know what Walz thought about the topics of immigration and illegal immigration. He said the nation should enforce its immigration laws, but also seek reforms that would allow people living here illegally to come out of the shadows, so they can keep being contributing members of their communities.
Walz made clear that there is no "line" for illegal immigrants to get in to seek citizenship. Whether someone is here for one year or 20, there is no legal mechanism for them to apply for and become citizens. Rather, they risk everything if they come forward, out of those shadows.
Walz said that, of course, those who commit serious crimes should not be allowed to remain here, but he also believes the nation should be compassionate and let good people stay.
The town hall also focused on other hot-button issues on Trump's agenda and of concern to citizens. These include the future of Obamacare, income inequality and public education.
Walz said that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) has succeeded and failed. It has given more people health care coverage, but failed in holding down the costs of medical care and insurance premiums.
"I do believe that the right to health care is a human right," Walz stated. However, ensuring this right is a lot more complex and difficult than wanting to see it fulfilled, he acknowledged.
Walz said Republicans in the U.S. House will introduce their plan to repeal and replace Obamacare on Wednesday, with the bill to be voted up or down, with no amendments. Neither he nor other members of Congress will see the bill until it is introduced, he noted, making it impossible to say if he can support it, or any of its provisions.
Walz noted that Medicare was tinkered with and changed many times over the years after it was introduced in the 1960s. He would prefer to work on fixing Obamacare, noting that "health care reform is a journey, not a destination."
The congressman does question the alternative to not providing health care as a right to every citizen: "What are we going to do?" He said that prior to Obamacare, people without insurance who needed care went to the emergency room for help, then did not pay their bills. Which added substantially to everyone else's costs for medical care.
As for income inequality, Walz said people can talk about the minimum wage, but what interests him is a "living wage." He said Americans rightly celebrate the businessman or woman who gains great success, but should not discount the labor that helps them do it. "Labor" should not just be an economic concept and cost, he argues. Rather, labor is people, who should not have to work three jobs to support their families.
"There is an economy here (in the U.S.) that can work for everybody," Walz says. "But right now it doesn't work for everybody."
Finally, on education, Walz said public schools are common ground for citizens, places where all socioeconomic backgrounds come together. He also believes they are essential to create and maintain an educated populace, an ingredient needed for democracy to succeed. In addition, Walz touts schools as a place for young people to gain the skills they need to contribute to the economy.
Walz admits he is a little nervous about educational reforms that could weaken public schools. Trump and others advocate more decision-making by parents and students, along with more flexibility in how those parents' tax dollars get spent at what educational facility. Some see this "school choice" as a way to rescue students from failing schools, while other see it as the beginning of a monumental shift away from public education as we know it.
Walz said schools should have high standards and accountability, but he sees problems with undermining public education, especially if it involves for-profit schools that offer bad results and cost more. He encourages those concerned about the issue to visit their local public schools to see the good things happening there.