By J.J. Smith. A young Rockwall man was just invited to meet Pres. Obama and his wife and enjoy a tour of Washington D.C. in April as a member of the U.S. Winter Olympics/Paralympics teams which participated in the 2010 Vancouver Canada Games earlier this year.

Taylor Lipsett (seated first to the right of Michelle Obama with beard) was one of the leading scorers on the gold medal-winning U.S. sled-hockey team in the Paralympics Games for athletes with physical disabilities which followed the Winter Olympics.

The 2009 SMU graduate said he was able to meet many other governmental leaders and Olympic athletes during the tour. Among them were Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Defense Secretary and former Texas A&M president Robert Gates,  plus Winter Olympics champions Shaun White, Apollo Ohno, Shanie Davis and Dave Backes.

“The White House visit was great!” said Lipsett, who just moved to Rockwall last November with his wife, Kathleen, from Mesquite, where he was raised.

“It was a great honor meeting President Obama and the First Lady! No matter what you political views might be, being in the company and shaking hands with one of the most powerful people on the earth is quite an experience!”

“Pres. Obama had very kind words to say to the team, and said that we were very courageous athletes, for not only achieving what we did by winning the gold medal, but also for overcoming the daily obstacles that people with disabilities face.”

“He expressed that ‘we are an inspiration to all Americans and provide great role models for children and especially those wounded warriors coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan!”

Lipsett said the First Lady was also very kind and hugged every athlete.

“While she did not have many words to say since the President was doing most of the speaking during their five-minute visit with the team, she went around and hugged every single athlete and congratulated us.”

After leaving the White House, he said they went on a tour of the Pentagon, met Secretary Gates and visited the memorial for those lost in the 9/11 attack.

The day before they went to the Bethesda Naval Hospital and visited with wounded soldiers home from Iraq and Afghanistan.

“The D.C. trip all in all was a great experience! We got to visit with wounded warriors and provide them with some home to living life with a disability.”

He said they concluded their trip by attending a reception dinner at the Supreme Court, where there were various Senators and Congressmen whom they were able to meet and speak with.

“To conclude the visit to D.C., we attended a reception at the Supreme Court, where many Congressman and other political leaders were present and mingled about with all the athletes.”

There were Olympians and Paralympians all together during the whole week, he added.

“I got to meet Olympic Champions such as Apollo Ohno, Shanie Davis, Shaun White and Dave Backes, a member of the U.S. Men’s Hockey Team and St. Louis Blues, plus many members of the Women’s Olympic Hockey team.”

“Another cool experience was meeting Shaun White, the Olympic Snow Board Half Pipe Gold Medalist. He was very nice and took the time to snap pictures with many athletes.”

“Overall it was a great week and an unforgettable experience,” he said.

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By J.J. Smith. In a news release issued last night after Pres. Obama’s 2010 State of the Union address, Rep. Ralph Hall (R-Rockwall) explained that while he liked hearing the President call for more jobs, help for small businesses and freezing spending because they are all steps in the right direction, they are not nearly enough and we need to do much more to solve the nation’s financial and employment problems.

“The economy was the focus of the President’s address – as it should have been – and I like what he said about jobs and about helping small businesses,” wrote Hall.

“His call for a spending freeze is a turning point for an Administration that has spent billions on stimulus packages and proposed billions more for a government takeover of health care. But this is only a first step to restoring fiscal responsibility in Washington.  We have to actually reduce spending to have any effect on budget deficits.”

He added that unless we dramatically reduce spending now, the nation’s debt in 10 years will be a “generation killer” by the time his youngest granddaughter reaches the age of 24.

“The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office just announced that this year’s budget deficit will reach $1.35 trillion, and it described our country’s fiscal situation as unsustainable. Unemployment has risen from 7.7 percent to 10.0 percent in one year, and the outstanding public debt has increased by 23 percent during that same time.”

“Unless we change course, the President’s economic policies will add more than $14 trillion to our national debt over the next ten years.  My youngest granddaughter by that time will be 24 years old – with a national debt that could be a generation killer – her generation.

The 15-term Congressman said our focus should be on fiscal restraint combined with job creation.

“Our focus needs to be on fiscal restraint combined with job creation.  Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and create most of the new jobs in America.  We need to do all we can to help them survive – and to thrive.  They need a stable economic environment so they can hire with confidence and plan for the future.”

“I liked the President’s suggestion to cut capital gains taxes on business investments.  I think he should have gone a step further by abolishing all capital gains taxes, which would spawn new capital, new investments, new jobs and new transactions.

“We cannot borrow, spend and bail our way back to a growing economy.  I hope the President has learned this lesson in his first year, and I hope that he is listening to the American people.”

Hall said Congress should pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, which he has long supported.

“While a spending freeze is a step in the right direction, Congress must work to hold the Administration accountable and fight to ensure that Washington gets its fiscal house in order.  Congress should immediately pass strict budget caps that will limit federal spending each year and should also pass a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution, which I have long supported.  Americans expect their Representatives to balance the federal budget – just like they do every day in their homes and businesses.”

He added that he was disappointed that the President did not let up on his efforts to advance a multi-trillion dollar government takeover of health care.

“The President did not let up on his efforts to advance a multi-trillion dollar government takeover of health care that will raise taxes, raise health care costs and increase government spending.  There are common-sense health care reforms that all Americans and both political parties could support that would improve access for Americans and decrease costs, without a government takeover and massive spending increases.”

To contact Rep. Hall in Washington D.C., call 202-225-6673.

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