Sen. Shelby visits county

U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby told a small group of Russellville residents and officials Saturday afternoon that the area faces some unique challenges moving forward.

Mayor Troy Oliver presented Shelby with a presentation on the area’s recent census results and spoke of some of his plans for the city’s career/technical programs in the schools.

“We have some unique challenges because of our demographics,” Oliver said.

During his presentation, he told Shelby that the city schools are now comprised of 34 percent Hispanic students.

“We all come from immigrant stock,” Shelby said as he addressed questions from local Hispanics.

“A lot of Hispanics come here just like the English and Germans did, looking for a better way of life. We need to make sure that everyone comes here legally and that everyone has the same opportunities.”

The biggest challenge facing the nation as a whole, he said, is the growing deficit the country faces.

He used a chart to show how the deficit has grown over the past century, even showing how it had grown from $909 billion in 1980 to $14 trillion in 2011.

“We’re on the road to financial destruction,” he said. “We have got to reign in our spending, look at every program from defense to education to foreign oil.”

Shelby began his sixth term in the Senate in January. He is a member of the Appropriations Committee and ranking member of the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.