A strong middle class is the key to a strong economy. That was the overall theme at Congressman Adam Smith’s Town Hall meeting May 2 at Highline Community College in Des Moines.

Over 90 people attended the meeting.

Congressman Smith said that he is worried about the current lack of equality of opportunity.

“We’re not quite at that standard anymore,” said Smith. “If U.S. incomes were still distributed as they were in 1979, the average U.S. worker would receive nearly $6,000 more a year in income.”

Smith said he is a strong supporter of what is called a middle-out economics rather than trickle-down economics.

Middle-out economics supports the idea that a strong middle class provides a stable consumer base that drives businesses and investments.

“It’s not the government that grows the economy,” said Congressman Smith. “Decisions need to be good for the middle class.”

Congressman Smith said that although he is not overly obsessed with the deficit, it is a problem and it does matter.

He said as the interest on the debt continues to grow it will reduce the amount of funding given to other important federal programs.

Smith represents Washington’s Ninth Congressional District, which is located in the central Puget Sound region and includes parts of King and Pierce counties. It stretches from Lake Sammamish in Bellevue to the Port of Tacoma.

Congressman Smith encourages any of his constitutions to contact his office if they have any inquiries. He reiterated that his office does not send out form letters and that if someone is not satisfied with the response they get, to send another inquiry and his office will try again.