EC from DC - October 12, 2012

Despite very chilly temperatures, a large crowd of business leaders, community residents and city officials joined together to mark this historic event.

Congressman Cleaver (pictured on middle right) joins KCP&L President and CEO Terry Bassham, representatives from the Green Impact Zone and Kansas City officials for ribbon cutting

The park is free and open to the public and boasts one attraction that explains to visitors how power is delivered, the customer in-home experience and the history of electric meters. KCP&L also announced there will be 9 future locations of SmartGrid electric vehicle charging stations.

This is all possible because of a federal grant, which I am honored to have helped secure, and the investment by KCP&L of more than $50 million.

Congressman Cleaver tells SmartGrid Innovation Park audience Kansas City is leading the way

With the opening of the SmartGrid Innovation Park, we are hoping to continue to inspire people with the great accomplishments of the nationally recognized Green Impact Zone. As I shake my head in disappointment at the politics and dysfunction in Washington DC, I am inspired by the civility taking place each day here in Missouri’s Fifth District.

Here, we work together regardless of party politics. We build things together. We innovate here together. I believe everyone wants to live in a good and safe neighborhood. And I commend KCP&L and all those who have worked many hundreds of hours on this project, for being good corporate citizens and making a dream become a reality.

Congressman Cleaver addresses crowd at the Paseo-Cargill Energy Expansion announcement

When someone tells you they are expanding their business, adding jobs, and helping the economy, it is indeed a good day. This week, I joined leaders of Paseo-Cargill Energy, the Missouri Soybean Association, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, Senator Roy Blunt, and others for this important announcement.

An expansion will soon be underway that will result in additional local jobs and a 40% increase in capacity of the company’s biodiesel plant. There, they convert soybean oil into millions of gallons of biodiesel.

This is a critical industry to Missouri’s Fifth District and one that I am pleased to see keeps growing and expanding. I attended the original groundbreaking in August of 2006 and will continue to be a supporter.

Congressman Cleaver talks about agricultural issues with Missouri Director of Agriculture Jon Hagler

• Soybeans are Missouri's #1 cash crop, Missouri ranks 7th in the nation in soybean production. Primarily used as a livestock feed, soybeans can also be found in salad dressings, paint, medicine, car parts, crayons, ink, pesticides and much more!
   
• In 2011, soybeans represented 56 percent of world oilseed production, and 33 percent of those soybeans were produced in the United States. The United States exported 1.275 billion bushels (34.7 million metric tons) of soybeans, which accounted for 37 percent of the world's soybean trade.
   
• U.S. soybean and soy product exports exceeded $21.5 billion in 2011. China was the largest customer for U.S. soybeans with purchases exceeding $10.4 billion. Mexico was the second largest market for U.S. soybeans with purchases of nearly $1.6 billion. Other significant buyers included Japan with purchases of $954 million and Indonesia with purchases of $859 million.
   

Congressman Cleaver (far right) joins leaders from Paseo Cargill Biodiesel Plant, the Missouri Soybean Association, Governor Jay Nixon (center) and Missouri Senator Roy Blunt (pictured next to the Congressman)

I was delighted to join more than 100 future leaders of our state this week at the Chamber of Commerce Centurions Program. My friend and colleague, Congressman Kevin Yoder (R-KS), joined me to speak on elections, politics, and most importantly, civility.

Congressman Yoder and I often speak together about the importance of civility in Washington. As you know, I believe Washington is broken. Instead of working together in a bipartisan way to serve you, too often there is screaming and yelling, figuratively and literally, as politics has become more important, for some, than service.

One day, after walking around Tokyo in oppressive heat and tormenting humidity, I decided to cool off in the hotel lobby. I sat on a sofa just a few feet away from an older Japanese gentleman who shocked me by turning and saying, “What’s up?” There was a little twinkle in his eyes that caused me to believe that his use of this American colloquial greeting was designed to shock.

After about ten minutes of small talk in English, he asked if I spoke Japanese. I said that I didn’t speak a word, and joked that I didn’t want him to do so because he might curse me without my understanding. He then dropped a bomb shell, “We hardly have any curse words in our language,” he said. Later, when we returned home I did a little amateur research on Japanese swear words. I discovered that my Tokyo friend was accurate when he said that the Japanese language contains few swear words.

My not so in-depth study of Japan and its linguistic peculiarities revealed some very interesting elements about the people of this somewhat isolated island nation. I learned that with the exception of a handful of vulgar words, including some in English and the similar sounding Korean language that over time crept into the principally lewd-less Japanese language, they have maintained a rather impressively clean language. Allow me to wonder out loud what kind of nation we might have if the Capitol Hill culture was polite-oriented. I’m not so Pollyannaish that I actually believe that foul language could ever be dislodged from the halls of Congress; I am not asking Members to swear off swearing.

Some of the most wonderfully smart and civil people on the Hill handle expletives quite expertly. It is quite possible to be a master of malediction and a tolerant and tactful spirit. But what if the Capitol Hill culture strongly rejected, as debauchery, taking each other’s words out of context to bolster an otherwise feeble argument? What if the Hill culture was so civil that Members of Congress and their staffs would not publically accuse the other side of malevolent motives when there is a strong disagreement over legislation? Is it still possible to cultivate a Hill culture which is known not for its prolific profanity and mindless messiness, but for civility and politeness? While I realize I have presented a big what if, there is something we can do to change the culture. We can contribute one committed legislator to comity, keeping in mind that courtesy is contagious. It may be too late to duplicate the curseless Japanese culture, but we can create in our nation’s capital, a culture of political probity.

Emanuel Cleaver, II Member of Congress