Speaking to a crowd of about 40 people at a chamber luncheon at Ten Depot Street, Walden, R-Ore., forecast a time when the U.S. debt load will equal or surpass those of countries involved in the European debt crisis, especially economically troubled Greece.

Saying that job creation and the economy are the most pressing issues for Congress now, Walden criticized the House of Representatives’ recent decision to pass a resolution “deeming” a $1.1 trillion budget. Budget deliberations should not have been bypassed, he said.

“In times like these, you’d think Congress would be having a very vigorous discussion,” he said. “We’re borrowing 43 cents on the dollar. We’ve got some big issues to deal with when it comes to spending and tax policy.”

Walden also was critical of the federal government’s economic stimulus efforts. He said that with the effort winding down, unemployment is still high and the country is stuck with more debt.

He said that more than anything else, policy should be aimed toward restoring confidence.

“The last thing investors and entrepreneurs want is to not know what the future looks like. We need to get the job creators some certainty,” he said.

On local issues, Walden talked about his efforts to hasten repairs of the Wallowa Mountain Loop Road in Wallowa County, and also touched on Wallowa County’s problems with wolves.

Several of the people attending the meeting expressed concerns about Horizon Wind Energy’s plans to build a 300-megawatt wind farm on Craig Mountain near Union, and also Idaho Power’s plan to build the Boardman-to-Hemingway transmission line, which will pass through Union County.

All who asked questions on the wind farm issue expressed opposition.

“If we choose not to have these things in the area, 20 years from now it could be the biggest blessing for Union County,” one woman said.

On the wind farm issue, Walden said he understands local concerns, but didn’t say whether he favors or opposes the project.

He did say that such projects carry economic benefits like tax revenue for local governments. And though he said he wasn’t trying to dodge the issue, he noted that facility siting is a state decision.

A couple of people expressed criticism of federal subsidies for wind power. Walden agreed the government should take a second look at taxpayer money spent on energy production.

“We need to do some analysis about costs of what we’re doing on energy. We have to move toward a policy where those things don’t require taxpayer subsidy,” he said.

On the transmission line question, Walden said he sees people caught in a dilemma. Power lines are necessary, he said, but nobody wants them in their backyard.

“We could be careful about where we site them,” he said.

During the free-ranging question-and-answer session, Walden also heard concerns about health care, education, forest policy, the war in Afghanistan and more.