On Sunday, the Minnesota Heartland Tour RV pulled up in front of the El Mariachi restaurant in Austin for a one-hour roundtable discussion titled  “Stimulating Economic Growth.”  In a lively hour, citizens voiced their concerns about issues ranging from the high cost of healthcare to the need for a comprehensive energy program to concern about the increasing costs of higher education to concerns about outsourcing jobs out of the country.  Staffers took notes about these and other concerns, people volunteered to help the Obama campaign, and the hour was suddenly over.  The meeting generated a lot of enthusiasm in those of us in attendance, and we left feeling that the “change” in Senator Obama’s “Campaign for Change” is a very real possibility.  I was encouraged by the number of enthusiastic, determined and informed people (about 30) in attendance.

Bob Wangsness

Austin