Welcome to the first edition of the WolfePack News! This newsletter will keep you updated on Anne's activities and key issues, as expressed to Anne by Fifth District voters. In this edition, Anne speaks about her trip to Israel, the war in Iraq and fiscal responsibility.

Since the beginning of 2005, Anne has crisscrossed the Fifth District listening to constituents' concerns. She has attended meetings, Democratic Party functions, county fairs, church picnics, vigils for peace and many other events. Anne has spoken with residents of all four counties. The response has been strong and clear that the voters want Anne Wolfe to run for Congress again in 2006! We have raised more than $60,000 and the numbers are increasing every day. In 2004, we garnered more than 45% of the vote in Bergen County and, with 120,000 votes across the district, Anne achieved the unthinkable: She had a vote total that exceeded any other Democratic nominee in the Fifth District in over 25 years! EMILY's List took notice, and Anne was honored to accept an invitation to be one of 14 candidates from across the country to attend an exclusive three-day seminar for 2006 candidates.

With your help we can and we will defeat Scott Garrett in 2006! We must work toward that goal beginning today with a team dedicated to improving the quality of life for every citizen and their families by coming together, united behind a strong and dedicated Democratic message of hope, investment, growth and prosperity.

We begin by making sure that Jon Corzine and the entire 2005 Democratic ticket is elected on November 8. Democrats are on the move in New Jersey and we are dedicated to making our great State the best that it can be. We will leave no voter behind.

UJA Mission to Israel

I was honored to accept an invitation to join the Northern New Jersey chapter of the United Jewish Appeal on its 2005 Mission to Israel in late March. The group of 70 people inspected some of the projects that this chapter has invested in with both funding and dedicated effort. We visited a range of projects, including a girl's high school that has a new e-mail exchange program with a similar school in Bergen County. They are learning English literature together over the Internet and exchange in both Hebrew and English. We visited a hospital that has built a "city" in the basement, making it ready for any emergency. Israel is experiencing a migration of Ethiopian Jews into the country and has worked very hard to establish special schools, training facilities and services to help them assimilate into Jewish culture in Israel. Many of these facilities are co-funded by the UJA and the State of Israel.


My impression of Israel, a country the size of New Jersey, was not that of a country under siege. On the contrary, Israelis told me they have learned to live with war rather than die from its devastation. They are a proud people who want to thrive and live - and they do! Bombings take place and rebuilding immediately occurs. Israelis are a strong people who love life and will not let terrorism rule. Security is not visible, yet very powerful. Israelis are committed to peace and prosperity for its people and will not rest until they secure both.

During the course of our visit we spent time with host families that invited us to their homes to share a meal. I visited a family whose father is the director for the domestic violence unit in a town north of Haifa. As immigration expands, so do cultural differences. Incidences of violence and substance abuse are increasing. As unemployment is rising, Israel experiences the same problems of any other democratic society. They are addressing those problems with family clinics, clinical and psychological support, training programs and educational programs for those in need.

It takes forty minutes to drive from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem yet you travel back in time two thousand years! It was an extraordinary experience to be part of a city that so many people have made a journey to and I can attest to its enduring beauty and astounding engineering and architectural achievements.

Our guide always escorted us. Our security and safety came first. We were never left alone, yet I have to tell you that we did not encounter a single incident that caused concern. We had a series of lectures from top officials in the Israeli government who briefed us on issues including the struggle for peace and the future of Israel.

The Conflict in Iraq

From the Warren and Sussex County fairs, to Bergen County parades, to neighborhood barbecues and church picnics, the Irag war issue is paramount in people\'s minds. While the war kindles strong emotions both for and against, we clearly need a strong commitment to ending the military conflict as quickly as possible so that we can begin the arduous task of rebuilding, educating and training. The Iraqi people need to believe that economic prosperity is the foundation of a democracy and that the establishment of a strong middle class will sustain and legitimize their nation. Hatred breeds terror and is fed by poverty. The vicious cycle needs correction immediately. We can only do this by asking other nations for help and encouraging the world community to set aside their issues with the present administration and work toward a common goal.

The problems we face from our involvement in Iraq are well beyond partisan politics as usual. We cannot afford to wait until a new administration takes over in January 2009. Our courageous young men and women serving our strong military cannot do the rebuilding alone. One dead soldier is one too many when we all know that there are alternatives the President can pursue to protect them from harm. It is a disgrace to our great Nation to have a President placing our honorable troops in danger without proper equipment, backup and support.

Further, why is the Congress of the United States allocating funds without accountability? Why after three years and billions of dollars spent are our brave men and women on the front lines in peril because of faulty personal gear, poor maintenance, and equipment for their weapons and trucks that are not properly armored? We need to hold Congressman Scott Garrett accountable, as he sits on the House Budget Committee and recommends additional expenditures without question, yet never checks to see if the funds are being used for the intended purposes. I call on you to help me demand that the U.S. Congress account for the billions of dollars spent on this war and explain why service men and women continue to ask their parents, loved ones and communities to send them necessary equipment to get their job done.

Our commitment to our servicemen and women does not stop when they come home. We must continue to provide necessary services for the health and well being of our veterans. They served our country and it is our duty to give them the services and care they need. The Congress must fully fund veterans programs. We will not tolerate having another veteran sitting on the streets of America penniless and homeless.

I was one of the thousands of participants that came together for vigils to support Cindy Sheehan. Cindy represents a growing number of families around the nation that are asking our President to be honest about our involvement in Iraq. Our courageous men and women serving in the military and their families deserve to be heard. It is a sign of weakness for President Bush to simply act as if they do not exist.
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On Fiscal Responsibility

In speaking with voters throughout the district, I am often asked: "What is the role of a Congresswoman ?" The primary function of Congress is to appropriate funds for all necessary federal projects. Indeed it is the United States Congress that holds the purse strings for the federal government. We need to begin practicing fiscal responsibility.

The United States is currently spending more money than ever before on interest for our national debt, which is a mandatory expenditure. Every dollar of deficit spending creates mandatory debt service expenditures in future years, placing the financial burden on our children. At the same time, every dollar that goes toward debt service is one dollar that does not go toward funding the vital services and programs needed by the American people. Including this year's partial year cost, debt service has been over $315 billion dollars a year for the last 3 years. Imagine what we could do with even a portion of those dollars to help hard working families of the Fifth District and across the nation.

Another unintended consequence of the federal debt is the upward pressure on local property taxes. Fewer federal dollars places the burden of funding education, emergency services and transportation on local property taxpayers.

I believe we deserve better representation in Congress. I will fight for the dollars to help the Fifth District, improve the quality of life for current and future residents of northern New Jersey. I will ensure that we spend each precious tax dollar wisely and with effect. I pledge to be a good steward of your money. I will fight to eliminate waste while ensuring that the needs of our schools, health care, transportation system, first responders, military and veterans are not ignored.

More About Anne

Anne would love to hear from you. Please write to her at anne@wolfeforcongress.com. For more information about Anne and Wolfe for Congress, please visit our website, www.wolfeforcongress.com. The site will be re-launched with new, easy-to-use features in early September.

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