**Carter Courier**

http://carter.house.gov

October 17, 2008 Volume 6, Issue 17

**[LETTER FROM THE CONGRESSMAN]{.underline}**

Dear Friends,

I have traveled around the district throughout the past weeks visiting
many of you and discussing those important issues that affect Central
Texans. Overwhelmingly, the issue that is most important to you is the
economy. Like the rest of America, we want to see our economy grow
strong once again. While we are experiencing tougher times, we must
remember that America is still a country with great opportunity for
anyone with a strong work ethic and good ideas. Texans will get through
these tough times, and as your Congressman I will continue to work to
improve the strength of our economy.

As always, I will continue fighting for the conservative principles that
are so important to the people of the 31^st^ District.

Until next week,



**[OUR CENTRAL TEXAS VALUES]{.underline}**

Now, maybe more than ever, the media is full of political scandals and
mudslinging. The recent allegations of Rep. Tim Mahoney have flooded the
news outlets, as well as stories linking Senator Obama to William Ayers,
a founding member of the group that bombed the U.S. Capitol and the
Pentagon during the 1970s. Not to mention the coverage surrounding the
ACORN scandal and the fraudulent registration. With all the negative
coverage out there, it is hard to remember the true reason for standing
in line at the polls. When you cast your ballot in the upcoming weeks,
remember the issues that are important to you.

As a Judge in Williamson County for over 20 years, and the Congressman
for 6 years, I know what issues are important to Central Texans. Our
region is full of commonsense people who want to work hard, protect
their homes and families, and leave the next generation better off than
the last.

Doing this means protecting your right to keep and bear arms. That is
why I am proud to be a member of the National Rifle Association (NRA).
This right is one of the most important granted in the Constitution
because our Founding Fathers intended it to be the means by which
Americans can guarantee all other rights. I believe that Congress must
defend the rights of gun owners and that imposing federal gun regulation
often creates burdens for law-abiding citizens and infringes upon
constitutional rights.

I know that Central Texans want to see our economy grow strong once
again. While our economy has experienced slower times of late, we are
still a country with great opportunity for anyone with a strong work
ethic and good ideas. However, Congress must work to maintain and
improve this strength. I firmly believe that the first step in
stimulating our economy is to implement legislation to provide tax
relief for small businesses and American families. In order for tax cuts
to be fruitful for our economy, Congress needs to drastically decrease
federal spending. During a time where economic security is uncertain,
the most important thing we can do is allow you to keep more of your
hard-earned money. I will continue to work for lower taxes and will
support other policies that create more economic opportunities for
hard-working Americans.

Central Texans want to see America reduce its dependence from foreign
oil. By exploring alternative and traditional sources of energy within
the jurisdiction of the United States, our energy independence and
national security can be improved. I believe Congress should implement
legislation that will encourage conservation and promote the research
and innovation necessary to develop new technologies. But, while doing
this, we must also unlock new oil supply. Texans still put gasoline in
their cars and trucks so we can't expect new technology to take the
place of oil and gas overnight. I believe that creating a renewable
energy portfolio-wind, solar, hydropower, geothermal and ethanol-while
maximizing our use of domestic fossil fuels-coal, oil and natural
gas-will allow us to plan for our future needs while providing enough
energy for today.

The rising cost of health care has caused many Texans to choose between
basic needs and insurance. I know that Central Texans want more
affordable health care. I believe that Congress should adopt a plan that
promotes patients' choice among physicians and pharmacists as well as
drugs and services over the government's choice. We need a plan that
allows your health care coverage to stay with you should you switch
employers. We need to implement reforms so that we can see the true cost
of health care. Currently, our patchwork system, government and private
based insurance are laden with fees and underlying costs. We can't begin
to reduce costs until we first uncover the true cost of health care.

Border security and immigration issues are two of the most important
issues facing Central Texans right now. I have devoted much of my time
in Washington to this issue, and have been a strong advocate for an
"enforcement first" approach. While I agree that the entire immigration
system in our county should be overhauled in the near future, successful
immigration policy begins by securing our nation's border. We must know
who is entering and exiting our country. I remain strongly opposed to
any sort of amnesty program. If you reward illegal immigrants with
citizenship, that is amnesty, simply put. I do not believe that illegal
immigrants should be rewarded for breaking our laws, while millions of
immigrants are waiting in line to become American citizens.

I am a proud American and a proud Texan. There is nothing that we cannot
overcome with hard work and a determined spirit. We still have the power
to affect great change in the world and be the beacon of hope for all
humanity. Our conservative values, along with our tried-and-true Texas
spirit make our region the best in the nation. I know how important
these values are to you, and I will continue to uphold them as I
represent you in Congress.

**[\
TEMPLE HOUSING AUTHORITY AWARDED HUD GRANT]{.underline}**

I recently announced that the Housing Authority of the City of Temple
was awarded a \$150,000 Resident Opportunities for Self Sufficiency
(ROSS) Public Housing Neighborhood Networks (NN) grant from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

I am proud to represent the Temple Housing Authority and congratulate
them on receiving this grant. As the Representative for Central Texas, I
know what a great impact this grant will have on families who live in
Temple. These funds will help community technology centers provide
residents with access to computers, computer training and the Internet.
These funds will also assist with equipment upgrades, expansion of
services and needed physical improvements.

The Public Housing NN program funds new and existing community
technology centers. Existing centers may be upgraded to add equipment,
make necessary physical improvements and expand services. New centers
are established when there is no infrastructure, space or equipment
currently in use for a computer technology center.

**[CARTER SECURES FUNDING FOR ROUND ROCK HIGHER EDUCATION
CURRICULUM]{.underline}**

This past week I had the privilege to announce that \$1.52 million was
included in the 2009 Defense Appropriations bill for Texas State
University to establish a center for geospatial intelligence and
investigation that will enhance the Criminal Justice Program at the
Round Rock Higher Education Center.

I am pleased to have secured funding for this program that will give
tools to RRHEC and will enhance their criminal justice program. This
program will ultimately teach our soldiers and law enforcement how to
track terrorist activities.

**[NEW ENERGY COULD BOLSTER OUR ECONOMY]{.underline}**

The economic future of America is uncertain, and the bad news seems to
be piling on. Unemployment rates are rising as hardworking Americans are
losing their jobs. The fiscally irresponsible policies of Fannie Mae and
Freddie Mac implemented by Congress, with the policies of the Clinton
administration, have caused some of our oldest and most revered
financial institutions to teeter towards the edge of insolvency.

While all of these seem disheartening, we should take comfort in knowing
that during these times of peril and difficulty, Americans band together
and respond with greatness.

Twice last week I voted "NO" to a bailout bill that would give the same
financial companies that created this crisis \$700 billion of American
taxpayer money. I strongly believe that poor decisions made in the
private sector should not be bailed-out by taxpayers. Unfortunately,
many of my colleagues believed we were out of time and had to act
immediately. I believe that if we had taken a little extra time, we
could have created an economic "workout" plan paid for by Wall Street,
rather than you, the American taxpayer.

At a time when recession seems certain, American resourcefulness and
ingenuity can temper the economic decline of the financial sector with
new growth in the energy sector. Now, maybe more than ever, Congress
needs to unleash the American Energy Act. This act will bolster American
creativity by creating thousands of jobs in the energy sector. In the
short term, jobs could be created through new energy exploration and
production in the Outer Continental Shelf and ANWR. Jobs would also be
created by the first new construction of oil refineries in the United
States since the 70s.

The American Energy Act does not stop at conventional oil production.
New jobs will be created through the expansion of alternative energy
research and development. The United States is the Saudi Arabia of coal,
and this energy plan will reward companies investing in clean coal
technology. New jobs will be generated by expansion of wind, solar and
additional nuclear energy, all of which are great for our economy and
easy on the environment.

Most importantly, the American Energy Act will decrease our reliance on
foreign oil. It will no longer be necessary to export billions of
dollars in order to import the oil we need to meet the energy demands of
our country. This is money that can be reinvested into the
infrastructure of the United States and used to create new jobs and
expand economic growth.

America stands at a crossroads. We can choose to accept the looming
economic problems as inevitable, or we can choose to act decisively in
order to make this economic crisis as short and painless to the American
people as possible. I refuse to sit on the sidelines during this time of
uncertainty, and I will continue to push for sound energy policies that
will positively affect the current economic situation.