By Eric Timmons

Congressman Phil Hare, D-Rock Island, promised Wednesday to steer government dollars to Knox County, in his second term of office, and to focus on improving the economy and healthcare.

Hare, speaking before The Register-Mail’s editorial board, launched a blistering attack on the culture of “greed” and years of Wall Street deregulation that he said had led to the crumbling economy legislators were now struggling to repair.

He described the management of American International Group, the insurance giant recently bailed-out by the government, as “thieves.”

Echoing comments from Sen. Barack Obama, Hare said AIG should return to the taxpayer “every penny” of the $400,000 it reportedly spent on a junket, after it was propped up by the government.

Hare said he would continue to sign-off on earmarks, while in office, if that meant bringing money back to local communities.

The earmarks process has been consistently cited as an example of wasteful government spending by Sen. John McCain on the presidential campaign trail.

Hare, however, defended earmarks as part of a politician’s job to divert dollars back to their hometowns. “I want to bring every dime I can back to the community,” he said.

Hare also said he hoped stalled plans to make Galesburg a hub for the BNSF railroad company could be resuscitated, and promised to work across party lines to see this happen.

Galesburg had been “hit hard” by a wave of job losses, Hare added, and needed government investment to turn its fortunes around.

Despite a ballooning government deficit, fueled by the Wall Street bailout, Hare insisted money could be found to fund projects like the National Railroad Hall of Fame.

The congressman also said he backed Galesburg’s bid to have its logistics park designated a foreign-trade zone, which would offer tax incentives to companies looking to move to the area.

Hare, who began his first term in congress in January 2007, said he had learned a lot in his first months on the job, and hoped he could put that experience to good use in his second term in office.

Pressed on what he would do to improve the local economy, Hare said there was no “magic pill” to the problem.

He admitted it was unlikely the jobs lost when Maytag and Butler left Galesburg would be replaced in one fell swoop.

“We have to invest in areas like Galesburg,” he said.  “But I don’t think you’ll ever get the 1,600 jobs back, it’s difficult to find an employer that’s going to come in and replace job for job, we have to do it incrementally.”

Hare pointed to “green jobs” in the ethanol and renewable energy industries as areas were Galesburg could gain employment.

He also said that a huge infrastructure bill set to be put before congress in January, could boost the local economy by funding capital projects in the region.

If Obama wins the presidential elections, Hare hinted that he wouldn’t forget his home state when it came to jobs and investment.

‘If Obama wins this race, it’ll be great for this state,” he said.

Hare is running unopposed for congress in the November election.