Published: May 06, 2008 06:18 am         

Chelsea Clinton tells Goshen residents about her mother's plans

Chelsea Clinton made a stop in Goshen Monday night, stumping on behalf of her mother in the final hours before today’s Indiana primary.

“Happy Cinco de Mayo!” she greeted the crowd of about 150 that had gathered to hear her speak at La Bamba.

Clinton, the daughter of presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former president Bill Clinton, spoke on a wide variety of topics, including immigration, education and gas prices.

She was assisted on stage by Goshen resident Miguel Millan, who served as translator.

“I believe my mother is the strongest candidate on every issue that is important to me,” Clinton told the audience.

She said that the issue of high gas prices is important to her.

“What my mom wants to do is have a gas tax holiday, which is a difference between her and her opponent,” Clinton said. She said her mother also feels that gas and oil companies should be investigated and that the strategic petroleum reserve needs to be opened.

“We need to do something for the longer term,” Clinton continued. “It’s not only painful to our pocketbooks if gas stays high, but also to our security.”

Clinton said that the United States is more dependent on foreign oil now than the country was on Sept. 11. She said that in 2005, her mom voted against President Bush’s energy plan because she did not think that tax breaks should be given to oil companies.

“My mom also believes that we need a car that looks like it belongs in the 21st Century, because we know technology exists that would give us cars that can get 200 miles per gallon,” she said.

Much of Clinton’s talk came as a result of questions from the audience. One audience member expressed concerns about families being split up as a result of deportation.

“My mom supports comprehensive immigration reform,” Clinton said, explaining that her mother feels better border security is necessary “because we don’t know what is coming into our country.”

However, Sen. Clinton does not support building a wall at the border “unless we had to,” her daughter said.

Clinton said her mother would have everyone registered. Anyone in the country who came illegally and committed a crime would be deported. Others who came illegally would be required to pay a fine and back taxes for coming illegally.

She also said her mother wants to crack down on employers who are exploiting undocumented workers.

Of her mother, Clinton said, “She has fought to keep families together.”

Making higher education more affordable is important, the young Clinton said. She said that if elected, her mother plans to get the federal government back in the business of direct student lending.

Sen. Clinton will also create new child care tax credits and make it easier for companies to offer childcare at their workplaces, her daughter said.

“When my mom was First Lady she helped create the Children’s Health Insurance Plan,” Clinton said, explaining that the program provided insurance to 6 million children in America, including 70,000 Hoosier children.

“Mom wrote legislation in the Senate that would have doubled it to $12 million, but President Bush vetoed it,” she said.

Kathryn Aschliman of Goshen was among those in attendance at Monday’s event.

“I’m particularly interested in the fact that she is of the younger generation and I (wanted) to see how she is communicating with the younger generation,” Aschliman said prior to hearing Clinton speak. She said she was interested in how Clinton would energize the younger generation to get them involved in politics and their community.

Jacob Brenneman, a Goshen College junior and member of the Salsa Club that performed at the event, said, “It’s fun to hear what she has to say.”

For Brenneman, a candidate’s energy policy is important. He was also hoping to hear about Clinton’s views on the Iraq war.