Skagit County residents came together last week to share thoughts and concerns with U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., regarding the country’s current economic situation.

The meeting, held Oct. 1 in the Skagit County Commissioners’ hearing room, was organized last-minute the day before by Larsen and his staff.

Larsen told the crowd he expected about 20 people to show up at the meeting with less than a day’s notice, but the event drew a full house of residents, small business owners and community leaders.

He said his staff has received 2,500 e-mails and phone calls from constituents in the 2nd Congressional District. The majority of them opposed the proposed $700 billion economic recovery package that failed in the House Sept. 29.

Fifty percent of those constituents said “no” and the other fifty percent said “hell no”to the proposal, Larsen said. His office received about 20 comments urging Larsen to support the proposed recovery package, which he supported with a “yes” vote Sept. 29.

“The root of the problem we’re facing now ... is much deeper than the regular finances most people have to deal with everyday,” he said.

A revised version of the economic recovery package was approved by the Senate with a 74-25 vote Oct. 1. The measure also passed the House on Oct. 3. The version, which was immediately signed into law by President Bush, has stipulations that should protect tax payers, provide strong oversight, assist homeowners on the verge of foreclosure and limit compensation for CEOs in participating financial institutions.

Business owners within the 2nd Congressional District encouraged Larsen to do something about the economic situation as they are unable to receive credit needed to run their business, Larsen said.

The money someone needs to borrow in the United States may be sitting in a bank in another country, he said.

“The economy we’re living in is global,” Larsen said. “So what happens at Wall Street does impact us here at home.”

He said even other countries like Europe and Asia are looking for Congress to act on the current financial situation.

The fiscal rescue package is only step one, he said. The next step is to look at how the government regulates the financial market and how to prevent similar problems in the future.

About a dozen residents expressed their opinions regarding the financial recovery package or how the economic situation has affected their businesses.

Victoria Starr, owner of Starr Map Co. in La Conner, said she urged Larsen to vote “yes” on the bill. She said for the past 21 years more than 90 percent of her business has been selling products to mom-and-pop shops.

“It’s absolutely essential these credit markets work,” she said.

She said for the most part, her business will be OK due to its financial management, but that she has had to make other adjustments such as reducing her staff from 12 to eight employees.

John Hein, Action Pages sales manager and partner, said his relatively new company deals with 1,000 businesses in Skagit County and he’s seen how the financial situation has affected them.

However, he said he is happy the bill did not initially pass.

“Without the bill being voted we would not be sitting here today and hearing from businesses because of the timeline of what happened,” he said.

The president has told the country for years everything is OK, but suddenly it has 24 hours to make a decision, Hein said.

“As tough as it is right now, there’s always next year. Most Americans have that optimism,” Larsen said. “That innate optimism gives me hope.”