Page 8 - Mid Valley Times 8-29-19 E-edition

TJ Cox
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“That goes to show every vote counts. Your vote absolutely matters.”
Cox spoke of his visit to Sanger Academy. “They’re doing such a fantastic job there,” he said.
And he promoted the surplus books program. “All you need is a bookshelf,” he said. “It’s that type of thing we like to do. We’re here for one purpose and that’s to serve people of the 21st district."
Cox mentioned a town hall meeting in Hanford in which a veteran asked about doing more to combat the suicide rates amongst those who have served. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs released a report last year that said the average number of veterans who die by suicide each day remained unchanged at 20. But it also said rates are increasing for veterans and non- veterans.
Cox said he heard what his constituent said and he subsequently procured $10 million for post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues. He said while it was a start to tackle such a massive problem, “It was real legislation.”
Cox has said a chief focus of his term in Congress is expanding health care access, especially bringing down the cost of prescription drugs.
Mike Nemeth / Mid Valley Times
Gilbert Carrisalez, Sanger Rotary president, poses for a picture with TJ Cox after the club's weekly meeting Aug. 23 at the Sanger Community Center..
protocol of that country. “You haven’t greeted me,” the taxi driver said.
Once Cox told him good morning, they were fast friends and the man would take him anywhere. And Cox said he learned “We always have enough time to greet another person.”
He also told the leadership class about how members of Congress drop everything they’re doing to head to the U.S. Capitol Building for a vote. “A buzzer will drop,” he said. “We have 15 minutes to get there to vote.” Police hold traffic lights, representatives can take tunnels between buildings.
And he talked of his schedule. “I might have dinner from 5 to 9 p.m.,” he said. “Some nights you have four, five, six things you’ve been invited to.” And he goes to work out with fellow members of the House at 6 a.m. and usually works until midnight, staying in a house with a couple other members.
And on weekends, he returns home. “So it’s very busy,” he said.
Eighth-grader Albert Ruiz, who posed the first question to Cox, said he found the visit worthwhile. “It’s interesting what he does,” Ruiz said. “And thinks.”
Zadie Perez, also in eighth grade, said, “It was really cool. Good experience seeing what he does.”
In Shannon Leso’s
history class, Cox talked about the war of 1812, about listening to farmworkers in Delano talk about immigration, health care and classroom safety. And he spoke of the importance of getting involved in the political process.
“It was very informative,” said Hannah Cormack, an eighth-grader. “Never met a congressman before.” And she went back to work creating her highly artistic map of U.S. watersheds.
The reporter can be contacted by email at nemethfeatures@gmail.
Juanita Adame / Mid Valley Times Staff tried on a variety of wigs and costumes for
opening night.
Reedley
Continued from A7
awesome theme.” “Legends Hooray for Hollywood” opened Aug. 23, and shows run
through Sept. 8.
For more information
on show times and pricing, visit reedleyrivercity theatre.org.
Thursday, August 29, 2019
| A8 |
Mid Valley TiMes
In an opinion piece in the Fresno Bee he said the House passed the CREATES Act, which helps bring cheaper generic drugs to market, and the Protecting Consumer Access to Generic Drugs Act, which would prohibit companies from paying other companies to not produce a generic version of brand-name drugs.
And he said the Valley needs a water supply with storage and conveyance infrastructure intact. He said that as an engineer he worked on water delivery systems. “You’ve got my commitment that we’ll work on water infrastructure,” Cox said. “There will be a lot of funds for clean fresh drinking water. You need that supply.”
Cox also spoke about the blue card bill, which would offer a pathway for farmworkers to gain citizenship, giving them a work permit thatwouldprotectthem from deportation.
“When ag groups come to my office, they talk about three things: water, immigration and free trade,” he said.
At Sanger Academy earlier that day, Cox visited multiple classrooms and gave students what may have been their first glimpse of a member of Congress. In each brief presentation, he offered anecdotes. And the students remained glued on every word.
He brought his wife, Kathleen Murphy, a pediatrician and i n t e n s i v e c a r e physician. Coleman said she took him and fellow
staffer Jewely Lickey and the two of them spent about 90 minutes perusing all the titles in the Library of Congress. Coleman and Lickey had traveledtoWashington, D.C. because their school was honored for being named one of the Schools to Watch.
“It was great,” he said.
Cox told Sanger Academy’s leadership class a little story of the importance of being polite and recognizing the power of pleasantries. He traveled to Ghana where he stayed in a little hotel. Early one day, he needed the services of a taxi driver and asked if the man could take him to his destination. The man said, “No.”
Cox said he was unsure of how to proceed but eventually was told that he hadn’t followed the
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