As you have probably noticed, your blog-masters have not been keeping up our posts. Sadly, we are dealing with a number of family issues that have taken our focus off politics.
We hope to rejoin the fight as soon as circumstances allow.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Dems did well around the county
Thanks to the leadership of Tom Wade, Democrats had quite a few big wins this election day.
Highlights for Rensselaer County were Lou Rossimilia for Troy mayor, DA Rich McNally despite the last minute smear campaign by the GOP and Judge Tom Breslin.
In the towns, most races saw gains by Democrats, especially Flora Fasold winning the Sand Lake Supervisor race and council members taking back the majority.
Here is a list of all the winners (so far - some races are still being decided.)
Highlights for Rensselaer County were Lou Rossimilia for Troy mayor, DA Rich McNally despite the last minute smear campaign by the GOP and Judge Tom Breslin.
In the towns, most races saw gains by Democrats, especially Flora Fasold winning the Sand Lake Supervisor race and council members taking back the majority.
Here is a list of all the winners (so far - some races are still being decided.)
- Richard McNally, District Attorney
- Thomas Breslin, New York State Supreme Court
- Dean Maxon, Berlin Town Council
- Anne Maxon, Berlin Town Clerk
- Pamela DeShane, Berlin Tax Collector
- James Winn, Berlin Superintendent of Highways
- Walter Yerton, Berlin Assessor
- Lawrence Kronau, Brunswick Town Justice
- Philip Malone and Sue Mangold, East Greenbush Town Council
- Antonette Murphy, East Greenbush Receiver of Taxes
- Ray Darling, Grafton Town Supervisor
- Barbara Messenger and Rick Ungaro, Grafton Town Council
- Francis Higgins, Grafton Town Justice
- Mary Gentner, Grafton Tax Collector
- Kathryn Connolly, North Greenbush Town Clerk
- Mark Premo, North Greenbush Superintendent of Highways
- Paul MacNoughton, Pittstown Town Justice
- Gregory Kronau, Poestenkill Town Justice
- Flora Fasoldt, Sand Lake Town Supervisor
- Mark Cioffi, Sand Lake Town Council
- William Jennings, Stephentown Town Council
- Alden Goodermote, Stephentown Superintendent of Highways
- Lou Rosamilia, Troy Mayor
- Lynn Kopka, Nina Nichols and Rodney Wiltshire, Troy City Council - At-Large
- Kevin McGrath, Troy City Council - District 1
- Robert Doherty, Troy City Council - District 4
- Kenneth Zalewski, Troy City Council - District 5
- Gary Galuski, Troy City Council - District 6
We are still waiting for the final results for the second Supreme Court Race with Ray Elliot within range of a win.
Congratulations to all who ran and gave it their all!
Sunday, November 6, 2011
East Greenbush GOP Dirty Tricks Come to Light
Times Union 11/06/2011, Page D06
Target sees dirty trick
Town’s GOP chief pays cash for ad listing seemingly fictitious writer
By BRENDAN J. LYONS
Senior writer
EAST GREENBUSH — The town’s Republican committee chairman, Chris DeFruscio, paid cash to publish a political-attack advertisement in a local publication that was made to appear like it was a letter-to-the-editor from a town resident.
The letter, which contained false accusations directed at a town official, was attributed to “Martha Andiago, East Greenbush,” which is apparently a fictitious name.
The advertisement appeared in Thursday’s edition of The Advertiser, a non-subscription weekly publication mailed to town residents. The letter targeted Toni Murphy, a Democrat seeking reelection Tuesday as East Greenbush tax collector. The letter accused Murphy of ordering an elderly man at a recent town meeting to “Sit Down!”
“While a senior citizen was trying to explain his disapproval of the way he was treated at the tax receiver’s office and the tax assessor’s office, Ms. Murphy was very vocal and rude in telling the elderly man to ‘SIT DOWN!’” the letter reads. “HOW DARE SHE, or any public figure ... try to silence people who are only looking for this administration to do the job they were elected and hired to do.”
Robert Wells, 75, who is the man referred to in the letter, said it did not happen. He said he went to the town meeting to appeal for a more fair process in resolving a tax issue and asked if he could sit while speaking.
“At some point, a female voice said something to the effect ‘Yes, sit down,’ or an offer was made to get me a chair and someone said ‘by all means, sit down,” he said, adding that he feels he is being “used” in a political fight.
Reached Saturday, DeFruscio sought to distance himself from the ad and repeatedly talked over a reporter. He refused to answer questions about his role in purchasing the ad or to identify the alleged author.
“You don’t understand, it’s not me. It’s not the committee,” DeFruscio said.
DeFruscio admitted paying $148 in cash to publish the letter when he went in-person to the office of The Advertiser on Oct. 28.
Susan St. Pierre, a sales rep for The Advertiser, said DeFruscio purchased several political ads and paid by check for all of the ads except the letter, which he paid for in cash.
On Saturday, DeFruscio, 49, told the Times Union: “I had an envelope. She (Andiago) was with us. She was outside. I went inside and dropped stuff off to Sue.”
But St. Pierre said she did not notice anyone else outside her office when DeFruscio was there. Under a standard verification process she called a number listed for the letter’s author and a woman confirmed her name was “Martha Andiago.” A search of public databases, including voter and property records, shows no one by that name in New York state.
On Friday, as questions surfaced about the letter, St. Pierre said she called back the number and the woman again confirmed her name is “Martha Andiago.” St. Pierre said she asked her to come to the Advertiser’s office with identification. “Then I said ‘May I ask your address’ and there was silence on the phone for a minute, and then the dial tone,” St. Pierre said.
St. Pierre said there were several “red flags” about DeFruscio’s ad purchase.
“He had told me that several people were pitching in to pay for that ad,” St. Pierre said. “My original email I received for that ad wasn’t signed by “Martha Andiago,” it was a different name but Chris changed it.”
She said DeFruscio asked her to make out a receipt for that ad to “Martha Andiago” while other ads were invoiced to the town GOP committee.
DeFruscio insisted the person who wrote the letter was real and that she would contact the Times Union to verify her identity. But no one called. DeFruscio also said her name was spelled wrong in the letter, but he declined to provide correct spelling or her telephone number. He also would not say how he knows the woman or why he had paid for her advertisement.
Murphy said the ad is part of a pattern of dirty political tactics by town Republican leaders.
“They’ll do anything at this point, you know elections,” Murphy said. “Usually my position isn’t contested like this. I just collect the taxes and don’t make decisions on who to hire.”
Murphy is being challenged for the job, which pays about $44,000 annually, by Corine Sheldon, a Republican. Sheldon could not be reached for comment.
“I’m angry because I was totally taken advantage of,” St. Pierre said.
Target sees dirty trick
Town’s GOP chief pays cash for ad listing seemingly fictitious writer
By BRENDAN J. LYONS
Senior writer
EAST GREENBUSH — The town’s Republican committee chairman, Chris DeFruscio, paid cash to publish a political-attack advertisement in a local publication that was made to appear like it was a letter-to-the-editor from a town resident.
The letter, which contained false accusations directed at a town official, was attributed to “Martha Andiago, East Greenbush,” which is apparently a fictitious name.
The advertisement appeared in Thursday’s edition of The Advertiser, a non-subscription weekly publication mailed to town residents. The letter targeted Toni Murphy, a Democrat seeking reelection Tuesday as East Greenbush tax collector. The letter accused Murphy of ordering an elderly man at a recent town meeting to “Sit Down!”
“While a senior citizen was trying to explain his disapproval of the way he was treated at the tax receiver’s office and the tax assessor’s office, Ms. Murphy was very vocal and rude in telling the elderly man to ‘SIT DOWN!’” the letter reads. “HOW DARE SHE, or any public figure ... try to silence people who are only looking for this administration to do the job they were elected and hired to do.”
Robert Wells, 75, who is the man referred to in the letter, said it did not happen. He said he went to the town meeting to appeal for a more fair process in resolving a tax issue and asked if he could sit while speaking.
“At some point, a female voice said something to the effect ‘Yes, sit down,’ or an offer was made to get me a chair and someone said ‘by all means, sit down,” he said, adding that he feels he is being “used” in a political fight.
Reached Saturday, DeFruscio sought to distance himself from the ad and repeatedly talked over a reporter. He refused to answer questions about his role in purchasing the ad or to identify the alleged author.
“You don’t understand, it’s not me. It’s not the committee,” DeFruscio said.
DeFruscio admitted paying $148 in cash to publish the letter when he went in-person to the office of The Advertiser on Oct. 28.
Susan St. Pierre, a sales rep for The Advertiser, said DeFruscio purchased several political ads and paid by check for all of the ads except the letter, which he paid for in cash.
On Saturday, DeFruscio, 49, told the Times Union: “I had an envelope. She (Andiago) was with us. She was outside. I went inside and dropped stuff off to Sue.”
But St. Pierre said she did not notice anyone else outside her office when DeFruscio was there. Under a standard verification process she called a number listed for the letter’s author and a woman confirmed her name was “Martha Andiago.” A search of public databases, including voter and property records, shows no one by that name in New York state.
On Friday, as questions surfaced about the letter, St. Pierre said she called back the number and the woman again confirmed her name is “Martha Andiago.” St. Pierre said she asked her to come to the Advertiser’s office with identification. “Then I said ‘May I ask your address’ and there was silence on the phone for a minute, and then the dial tone,” St. Pierre said.
St. Pierre said there were several “red flags” about DeFruscio’s ad purchase.
“He had told me that several people were pitching in to pay for that ad,” St. Pierre said. “My original email I received for that ad wasn’t signed by “Martha Andiago,” it was a different name but Chris changed it.”
She said DeFruscio asked her to make out a receipt for that ad to “Martha Andiago” while other ads were invoiced to the town GOP committee.
DeFruscio insisted the person who wrote the letter was real and that she would contact the Times Union to verify her identity. But no one called. DeFruscio also said her name was spelled wrong in the letter, but he declined to provide correct spelling or her telephone number. He also would not say how he knows the woman or why he had paid for her advertisement.
Murphy said the ad is part of a pattern of dirty political tactics by town Republican leaders.
“They’ll do anything at this point, you know elections,” Murphy said. “Usually my position isn’t contested like this. I just collect the taxes and don’t make decisions on who to hire.”
Murphy is being challenged for the job, which pays about $44,000 annually, by Corine Sheldon, a Republican. Sheldon could not be reached for comment.
“I’m angry because I was totally taken advantage of,” St. Pierre said.
| Powered by TECNAVIA | Copyright © 2011 Albany Times Union 11/06/2011 | ||
Sunday, October 30, 2011
DA Rich McNally picks up TU endorsement
Here is what the Times Union has to say about DA Rich McNally's bid for re-election:
Four years ago, Rensselaer County District Attorney Richard McNally Jr. took over an office plagued with a backlog of cases and an image problem. It needed, as he puts it, a “sea change.”
Mr. McNally, a Democrat, has taken steps to do just that. He deserves another term to keep getting the job done.
His Republican opponent, Joel Abelov, a former assistant district attorney, claims he can do better. He says the conviction rate is too low and questions the changes Mr. McNally has made.
Among their more substantive differences, Mr. Abelov disagrees with Mr. McNally’s willingness to plea bargain many felony cases down to misdemeanors. Mr. Abelove’s hard-line position makes for a good muscular law-and-order message, but doesn’t reflect the job’s reality. Plea bargaining is a common and necessary practice in our justice system.
Without pleas, courts would be clogged, cases would sometimes go to trial with insufficient evidence and the valuable work prosecutors do in sorting criminals from those who might deserve a break would be lost. Prosecutors would be unable to focus their limited resources on the cases that matter most.
Mr. McNally’s approach has helped cut a case backlog in half. And, he requires that every plea bargain that involves a conviction include a DNA sample, which can be checked against unsolved crimes.
He has also taken a smarter, more compassionate approach in domestic violence cases, striving to keep victims out of court when possible.
Mr. McNally has taken a more enlightened yet practical approach to managing the office, too. He stripped away remnants of a caste system that had various bureau chiefs doing varying degrees of work and which relegated women to one large office while men had offices of their own. Mr. Abelove faults him for eliminating chiefs; we believe it reflects the realities of running an office in tight fiscal times.
We are also concerned that Mr. Abelove spent much of his career under Mr. McNally’s predecessors, Patricia DeAngelis, whose re-election prospects were so dismal she didn’t seek another term, and Ken Bruno, who publicly said the six-figure salary wasn’t good enough. It’s telling that Mr. Abelove faults Mr. McNally for the cost of using special prosecutors to appropriately remove himself from cases involving other Democrats, yet finds no fault with Ms. DeAngelis, a Republican who apparently saw no conflict in seeking to prosecute the county’s Democratic chairman.
While we can’t expect conflicts to never arise, we can expect public officials, especially those with the power of a district attorney, to see them when they do.
Four years ago, Rensselaer County District Attorney Richard McNally Jr. took over an office plagued with a backlog of cases and an image problem. It needed, as he puts it, a “sea change.”
Mr. McNally, a Democrat, has taken steps to do just that. He deserves another term to keep getting the job done.
His Republican opponent, Joel Abelov, a former assistant district attorney, claims he can do better. He says the conviction rate is too low and questions the changes Mr. McNally has made.
Among their more substantive differences, Mr. Abelov disagrees with Mr. McNally’s willingness to plea bargain many felony cases down to misdemeanors. Mr. Abelove’s hard-line position makes for a good muscular law-and-order message, but doesn’t reflect the job’s reality. Plea bargaining is a common and necessary practice in our justice system.
Without pleas, courts would be clogged, cases would sometimes go to trial with insufficient evidence and the valuable work prosecutors do in sorting criminals from those who might deserve a break would be lost. Prosecutors would be unable to focus their limited resources on the cases that matter most.
Mr. McNally’s approach has helped cut a case backlog in half. And, he requires that every plea bargain that involves a conviction include a DNA sample, which can be checked against unsolved crimes.
He has also taken a smarter, more compassionate approach in domestic violence cases, striving to keep victims out of court when possible.
Mr. McNally has taken a more enlightened yet practical approach to managing the office, too. He stripped away remnants of a caste system that had various bureau chiefs doing varying degrees of work and which relegated women to one large office while men had offices of their own. Mr. Abelove faults him for eliminating chiefs; we believe it reflects the realities of running an office in tight fiscal times.
We are also concerned that Mr. Abelove spent much of his career under Mr. McNally’s predecessors, Patricia DeAngelis, whose re-election prospects were so dismal she didn’t seek another term, and Ken Bruno, who publicly said the six-figure salary wasn’t good enough. It’s telling that Mr. Abelove faults Mr. McNally for the cost of using special prosecutors to appropriately remove himself from cases involving other Democrats, yet finds no fault with Ms. DeAngelis, a Republican who apparently saw no conflict in seeking to prosecute the county’s Democratic chairman.
While we can’t expect conflicts to never arise, we can expect public officials, especially those with the power of a district attorney, to see them when they do.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Guest Post - Progress in the Town of Nassau
by Nassau Town Chairman Mark Berger
For the last six years, Democrats have contributed greatly to Nassau. With Ray Seney leading, he and Michael Roland and Sue Hains spurred the development of the comprehensive plan and updated zoning laws, initiated open government policies, took the junk yard to court and won, helped move the cleanup of the Dewey Loeffel Toxic Waste Site from the DEC to the EPA, worked with CEO to bring a comprehensive day care center to our area, oversaw the budget, and opened town government to all civic minded individuals.
Democrats and independents came forward and joined with Republicans to create and serve on the Natural Resources Committee, the Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Committee, the Website and Broadband Committee and presently many of those citizens still serve on these committees as well as the Zoning Board and Planning Board.
If you want this forward thinking representation to continue, electing our candidates is essential. Ray Seney has given his all to our town -- first as Supervisor and now as Councilman; he comes to meetings prepared and asks the questions that need to be asked. Ray is running for re-election, we have to keep him on the Town Council.
Guy Forte has stepped forward and is wants to move ahead with the initiatives outlined in the 2011 Comprehensive Plan and to work with both the Town and the Village of Nassau to figure out ways that mutual cooperation will work to save money and still provide quality services for all townspeople. Let’s get Guy elected to the board.
Along with Donna Ortgies, our town clerk candidates, and Marcelle Gadreault, our candidate for tax collector, all of our candidates are completely independent. They have no other overlapping loyalties. Decisions of our office holders are theirs alone. They are seeking office in order to serve the town and for no other reason.
Remind your friends that on Tuesday, November 8, the future of Nassau will be decided. The progress we have made is because we have had our candidates serve on the Town Council. A five-to-nothing Republican Town Council will be at best a status quo council.
We need your support. Send us a contribution. Help us stuff envelopes. Anything you do, allows us to do more.
Thanks for listening,
Mark
Town of Nassau Democratic Committee, PO Box 237, East Nassau, 12062: Where your donations lead to good government.
For the last six years, Democrats have contributed greatly to Nassau. With Ray Seney leading, he and Michael Roland and Sue Hains spurred the development of the comprehensive plan and updated zoning laws, initiated open government policies, took the junk yard to court and won, helped move the cleanup of the Dewey Loeffel Toxic Waste Site from the DEC to the EPA, worked with CEO to bring a comprehensive day care center to our area, oversaw the budget, and opened town government to all civic minded individuals.
Democrats and independents came forward and joined with Republicans to create and serve on the Natural Resources Committee, the Comprehensive Planning and Zoning Committee, the Website and Broadband Committee and presently many of those citizens still serve on these committees as well as the Zoning Board and Planning Board.
If you want this forward thinking representation to continue, electing our candidates is essential. Ray Seney has given his all to our town -- first as Supervisor and now as Councilman; he comes to meetings prepared and asks the questions that need to be asked. Ray is running for re-election, we have to keep him on the Town Council.
Guy Forte has stepped forward and is wants to move ahead with the initiatives outlined in the 2011 Comprehensive Plan and to work with both the Town and the Village of Nassau to figure out ways that mutual cooperation will work to save money and still provide quality services for all townspeople. Let’s get Guy elected to the board.
Along with Donna Ortgies, our town clerk candidates, and Marcelle Gadreault, our candidate for tax collector, all of our candidates are completely independent. They have no other overlapping loyalties. Decisions of our office holders are theirs alone. They are seeking office in order to serve the town and for no other reason.
Remind your friends that on Tuesday, November 8, the future of Nassau will be decided. The progress we have made is because we have had our candidates serve on the Town Council. A five-to-nothing Republican Town Council will be at best a status quo council.
We need your support. Send us a contribution. Help us stuff envelopes. Anything you do, allows us to do more.
Thanks for listening,
Mark
Town of Nassau Democratic Committee, PO Box 237, East Nassau, 12062: Where your donations lead to good government.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Democracy for the Win
Congratulations to Charlie Smith and the people of North Greenbush who saw through the Republican attempt to deny them choice by trying to run Spain on all lines.
CB Smith prevailed in the primary and will have the Democratic line for the up-coming general election in November.
Congratulations CB!
CB Smith prevailed in the primary and will have the Democratic line for the up-coming general election in November.
Congratulations CB!
Friday, September 2, 2011
NY-20: Gibson stumbles on FEMA 'offsets'
NY-20:-Gibson-stumbles-on-FEMA-offsets Guest Post: Daily Kos' devtob.
Tea party Republican Chris Gibson, NY-20, represents a far-flung district that was hard-hit by Irene in every one of its 10 counties.
Thousands of his constituents still do not have power, and several major roads and bridges were washed away and are still closed.
Like a professional pol, rookie Gibson was out there getting free media and expressing his concern:
Details, below.
Tea party Republican Chris Gibson, NY-20, represents a far-flung district that was hard-hit by Irene in every one of its 10 counties.
Thousands of his constituents still do not have power, and several major roads and bridges were washed away and are still closed.
Like a professional pol, rookie Gibson was out there getting free media and expressing his concern:
My office is working with the Cuomo administration to ensure we make the strongest case for FEMA assistance and I’m encouraged today to be with the governor and see his priorities, that he’s put on this. This is going to take our very best effort – the federal, state and county level — going forward.But, like his tea party Republican neighbor to the south, Gibson has a Boehner/Cantor string attached to his support of effective FEMA support for his stricken constituents.
Details, below.
Boehner/Cantor, playing to the GOP's far-right tea party base, have proposed unspecified "offsets" (even more job-killing cuts in federal spending) that will be necessary before the radical House Republicans will provide funding for FEMA to do its basic job of helping victims of Irene, and local governments who need to rebuild scores of roads and bridges, just in NY-20.
Gibson's "very best effort" is constrained by his allegiance to Boehner/Cantor (from the initial link, above):
The Boehner/Cantor bill won’t get a hearing in the Senate, and the issue could drag on for months in yet another radical Republican hostage-taking scheme.
Gibson has said he supports Boehner/Cantor hostage-taking that hurts people in his district.
That should count for something in next year's election.
And Gibson recently told Dutchess County constituents that he stands by his no-new-taxes pledge to Grover Norquist.
So Gibson will not do everything he can to help his Irene-affected constituents.
He will instead do what little he can, and only as much as his political bosses -- Boehner, Cantor and Norquist -- will allow.
Gibson's "very best effort" is constrained by his allegiance to Boehner/Cantor (from the initial link, above):
“We can do offsets,” Gibson said, agreeing with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. “Certainly we can find other places where we can save money, but this is what you need a federal government for — a moment like this — and it has got to be a priority.”So what will happen when Boehner/Cantor propose a FEMA funding bill for Irene expenses that will inevitably involve cuts in federal programs that Democrats won’t abide?
The Boehner/Cantor bill won’t get a hearing in the Senate, and the issue could drag on for months in yet another radical Republican hostage-taking scheme.
Gibson has said he supports Boehner/Cantor hostage-taking that hurts people in his district.
That should count for something in next year's election.
And Gibson recently told Dutchess County constituents that he stands by his no-new-taxes pledge to Grover Norquist.
So Gibson will not do everything he can to help his Irene-affected constituents.
He will instead do what little he can, and only as much as his political bosses -- Boehner, Cantor and Norquist -- will allow.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Bruno DINO in North Greenbush
The real Democrats in North Greenbush are supporting Charlie Smith for supervisor this year.
The "Democrats" who have been bought off by the Boss Bruno GOP machine (which still exists, despite Bruno's felony conviction) are supporting Al Spain, a "Democrat" who works for the Republican mayor of Troy and has endorsed Republicans in every election for years.
Spain is running for supervisor on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, all provided by the lingering Boss Bruno machine.
But like Republican Lou Desso last year, Spain wants the Democratic line too.
Because Boss Bruno machine hacks hate competition.
Most voters prefer a choice, at every election at every level.
Boss Bruno's buddies don't want a choice in North Greenbush -- they want to bamboozle good NG Democrats into supporting a Boss Bruno hack.
There will be a Democratic primary about this on Sept. 13.
Real Democrats will support the real Democratic candidate -- Charlie Smith -- and not the fake Democrat pimped by the Boss Bruno machine -- Al Spain.
The "Democrats" who have been bought off by the Boss Bruno GOP machine (which still exists, despite Bruno's felony conviction) are supporting Al Spain, a "Democrat" who works for the Republican mayor of Troy and has endorsed Republicans in every election for years.
Spain is running for supervisor on the Republican, Conservative and Independence lines, all provided by the lingering Boss Bruno machine.
But like Republican Lou Desso last year, Spain wants the Democratic line too.
Because Boss Bruno machine hacks hate competition.
Most voters prefer a choice, at every election at every level.
Boss Bruno's buddies don't want a choice in North Greenbush -- they want to bamboozle good NG Democrats into supporting a Boss Bruno hack.
There will be a Democratic primary about this on Sept. 13.
Real Democrats will support the real Democratic candidate -- Charlie Smith -- and not the fake Democrat pimped by the Boss Bruno machine -- Al Spain.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Gibson blames the president for S&P's downgrade
In a stunningly partisan move that fails to take any responsibility for Tea Party brinkmanship, Congressman Gibson released a statement blaming President Obama and the Democrats for the downgrade in America's credit rating.
"This week, Congress passed and the President signed the Budget Control Act, which will cut between $2.1 trillion and $2.4 trillion over the next 10 years. This Act averted the immediate crisis of defaulting on roughly 40 percent of our federal debt obligations and influenced two of the three major credit rating agencies - Moody's and Fitch - to preserve our country's AAA credit rating. It was important to take action to avoid the chaos of the Obama Administration trying to sort through which bills to pay and which not to pay - leading to widespread panic across our country and the world. The consequences of this chaos would have been severe, resulting in a double-dip recession and possibly worse - our chances at an economic recovery wrecked. Without question, this bipartisan agreement fell short of what we needed to address our long-term debt crisis, but it was the best agreement that could be reached in a period of divided government. However, with S&P's downgrade of our credit rating to AA+, the Senate and White House must face this new reality and reassess their willingness to implement more comprehensive deficit reduction..."
Really, Congressman Gibson? President Obama was the one who created "chaos"? The fact that the GOP, fueled by the Tea Party, linked raising the debt limit with budget issues had nothing to do with it, right? It was the Democrats who refused to pass a clean bill to only raise the debt limit like it has been done every time before, right? It was Democrats who previously voted to raise the debt limit every time it came up without a peep who suddenly got religion and couldn't raise it again without taking a meat cleaver to social programs?
Reading statements like Congressman Gibson's makes one think they are in Superman's Bizarreo world -where everything is the opposite of reality on Earth.
And the Gibson gets away with it because his Tea Party supporters are low-information voters who believe what they want to believe.
"This week, Congress passed and the President signed the Budget Control Act, which will cut between $2.1 trillion and $2.4 trillion over the next 10 years. This Act averted the immediate crisis of defaulting on roughly 40 percent of our federal debt obligations and influenced two of the three major credit rating agencies - Moody's and Fitch - to preserve our country's AAA credit rating. It was important to take action to avoid the chaos of the Obama Administration trying to sort through which bills to pay and which not to pay - leading to widespread panic across our country and the world. The consequences of this chaos would have been severe, resulting in a double-dip recession and possibly worse - our chances at an economic recovery wrecked. Without question, this bipartisan agreement fell short of what we needed to address our long-term debt crisis, but it was the best agreement that could be reached in a period of divided government. However, with S&P's downgrade of our credit rating to AA+, the Senate and White House must face this new reality and reassess their willingness to implement more comprehensive deficit reduction..."
Really, Congressman Gibson? President Obama was the one who created "chaos"? The fact that the GOP, fueled by the Tea Party, linked raising the debt limit with budget issues had nothing to do with it, right? It was the Democrats who refused to pass a clean bill to only raise the debt limit like it has been done every time before, right? It was Democrats who previously voted to raise the debt limit every time it came up without a peep who suddenly got religion and couldn't raise it again without taking a meat cleaver to social programs?
Reading statements like Congressman Gibson's makes one think they are in Superman's Bizarreo world -where everything is the opposite of reality on Earth.
And the Gibson gets away with it because his Tea Party supporters are low-information voters who believe what they want to believe.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Gibson gets spanked by the Times Union
In its July 27 editorial, the Times Union has called for Rookie Congressman Chris Gibson to “put down the gun and govern.”
The TU, like the all but the most radical of his constituents, wants Gibson to stop being the Tea Party/Corporate Representative and start representing his whole district.
But it seems Gibson will have none of it, falling in line with the radial far-right freshman class in Congress; voting to kill thousands of FAA jobs in an attempt to strip transportation workers of their collective bargaining rights, focusing on symbolic votes like “light bulb free choice” and the absurd “Cut Cap and Balance” fake vote.
The TU notes that President Obama and the Democrats (much to their Progressive supporters’ dismay) have bent over backwards to meet the GOP’s demands. But as with the rest of the GOTeaParty, Gibson can’t take “yes” for an answer.
In short, the TU has called Gibson what he is – a partisan, ideological hack who will do anything, including bringing the country he claims to love, to the brink of economic disaster.
Here is the full text of the Times Union editorial:
The TU, like the all but the most radical of his constituents, wants Gibson to stop being the Tea Party/Corporate Representative and start representing his whole district.
But it seems Gibson will have none of it, falling in line with the radial far-right freshman class in Congress; voting to kill thousands of FAA jobs in an attempt to strip transportation workers of their collective bargaining rights, focusing on symbolic votes like “light bulb free choice” and the absurd “Cut Cap and Balance” fake vote.
The TU notes that President Obama and the Democrats (much to their Progressive supporters’ dismay) have bent over backwards to meet the GOP’s demands. But as with the rest of the GOTeaParty, Gibson can’t take “yes” for an answer.
In short, the TU has called Gibson what he is – a partisan, ideological hack who will do anything, including bringing the country he claims to love, to the brink of economic disaster.
Here is the full text of the Times Union editorial:
July 27, 2011 at 6:00 am by TU Editorial Board
Our opinion: The House Republicans’ all-or-nothing approach to debt and deficit talks isn’t a negotiating position, but a prescription for gridlock.
If President Obama had come out a few months ago and said that he was willing to reduce federal spending by trillions over the next decade and cut back key social programs like Medicare and Social Security in exchange for ending some tax breaks for the wealthiest individuals and corporations, many in his own party might have wondered if he had cut some secret deal with Republicans.
Yet even as Mr. Obama and many Democrats in Congress are ready to accept those very terms, compromising on many of their core positions just to secure a deal to keep this country from defaulting on its debt, House Republicans continue to dig in. While the President has been willing to risk alienating many in his party’s liberal wing, House Speaker John Boehner and his more mainstream colleagues appear to be cowed by a minority of radical freshman whose influence far exceeds their numbers.
They refuse to budge from an anti-tax, anti-government position, holding the nation and its economy hostage. The gun to America’s head is the threat of its first default in history, with potentially disastrous consequences for this country and the world.
With just days to go before the nation reaches its debt limit, it is time for them to end the brinkmanship.
It’s time for them to remember — or perhaps come out of their self-absorption and realize for the first time — that Americans didn’t elect them alone. They didn’t vote to hand the reins of government over to a relatively small bloc of ultra-conservative armchair economists.
Instead, in 2010 they left the Democrats in charge of the Senate and gave the Republicans a majority in the House of Representatives. They elected liberals, conservatives, moderates. They elected newcomers and incumbents. They elected people with different ideas of what the Constitution means, what government is for and how best to fix the economy and create jobs.
In short, they gave no one an absolute mandate.
It is time for intransigent House Republicans, from the tea partiers to the Capital Region’s Chris Gibson and the Hudson Valley’s Nan Hayworth, to accept that nobody gets to win their most extreme position in a negotiation.
It is time for them to heed conservative voices like Mickey Edwards, a former House Republican leader during the years of Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. Mr. Edwards has looked at what Democrats have offered and said that “If I was there, I would say, ‘My God, declare victory.’”
It is time for them to accept a plan that puts the debt limit battle to rest at least through the 2012 elections, not just patch it up for a few months and thrust it into the election season for political gain.
And if they could stop shouting anti-tax slogans for just a little while, they might see that it’s also time to take advantage of the opportunity before them, right now, to cut the deficit that they supposedly went to Washington to trim.
That would be the responsible thing to do.
But if the Republicans aren’t up to that — if they’re determined to spend this entire session and the rest of this President’s first term doing nothing but campaigning for the next election — next year’s budget deliberations certainly offer another chance to engage in that debate, and in plenty of brinkmanship.
Right now, though, it’s time to put down the gun, step away and govern.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Gibson lies about the deficit, too
Our Tea Party/puppet Congressman, Chris Gibson, voted for a federal budget that would raise the deficit (and end Medicare, too).
And Gibson also voted against a clean debt limit bill, supporting his radical Republican puppetmasters who want to crash the economy for partisan reasons.
So essentially Gibson wants to cut 40 percent of the budget he had just voted for.
And he's proud of his obvious hypocrisy.
Republicans never care about the deficit/debt unless there's a Democratic President.
And they have no credibility on the fiscal responsibility issue, since the vast majority of our notionally scary $14.3 trillion debt was incurred under Republican Presidents Reagan and the two Bushes.
Voters in NY-20 should know that Gibson wants to privatize Medicare and crash the economy.
And that Gibson does not really care about the deficit/debt.
He's just doing what he's told to do, make a big deal about the deficit/debt to appeal to the tea party minority, and secure his base.
Gibson's radical Republican policies will screw everyone not in the top 1 percent, including almost all of his clueless, propagandized, spectacularly uniformed base.
And Gibson also voted against a clean debt limit bill, supporting his radical Republican puppetmasters who want to crash the economy for partisan reasons.
So essentially Gibson wants to cut 40 percent of the budget he had just voted for.
And he's proud of his obvious hypocrisy.
Republicans never care about the deficit/debt unless there's a Democratic President.
And they have no credibility on the fiscal responsibility issue, since the vast majority of our notionally scary $14.3 trillion debt was incurred under Republican Presidents Reagan and the two Bushes.
Voters in NY-20 should know that Gibson wants to privatize Medicare and crash the economy.
And that Gibson does not really care about the deficit/debt.
He's just doing what he's told to do, make a big deal about the deficit/debt to appeal to the tea party minority, and secure his base.
Gibson's radical Republican policies will screw everyone not in the top 1 percent, including almost all of his clueless, propagandized, spectacularly uniformed base.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Come to the Schodack Democrats' Annual Picnic
Join the Schodack Democrats for a day of family fun at the
Schodack Democrats’ Annual Picnic
at the Schodack Town Park, Poyneer Road off Rte. 150
Saturday, July 16 from noon to 5:00 p.m
Schodack Democrats' annual picnic is always a great time to socialize with friends, neighbors and other like-minded people
As always, lots of food, music, a silent auction and more
This year featuring free horse and carriage rides courtesy of
Schodack Democrats’ Annual Picnic
at the Schodack Town Park, Poyneer Road off Rte. 150
Saturday, July 16 from noon to 5:00 p.m
Schodack Democrats' annual picnic is always a great time to socialize with friends, neighbors and other like-minded people
As always, lots of food, music, a silent auction and more
This year featuring free horse and carriage rides courtesy of
Joe Hughes of Carousel Farms, Schodack!
The Schodack Democrats’ Annual Picnic is free and all are welcome,
The Schodack Democrats’ Annual Picnic is free and all are welcome,
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Gibson's puppet show
Rookie Tea Party Rep. Chris Gibson pretends that he cares deeply about the federal deficit, to the point that he is willing to join his fellow radical Republicans in crashing the country's economy by refusing to raise the debt limit.
In this as with most of his votes this year, Gibson is a reliable puppet of Republican House leaders John Boehner and Eric Kantor in refusing to support any tax increases or corporate loophole closings to deal with the alleged debt emergency.
More than that, Gibson is also a puppet of disgraced Republican political operative Grover Norquist -- Gibson has signed Norquist's pledge to never ever raise any tax or close any loophole.
Norquist famously wants a federal government so small that radical Republicans can drown it in a bathtub.
Which would mean the end of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental regulation, VA hospitals, etc.
Gibson did four Independence Day events Monday, and evidently said nothing about his lack of independence as our Member of Congress, since he is more beholden to John Boehner, Eric Kantor, and Grover Norquist than he is to his constituents.
But then puppets never say anything that would upset their puppetmasters.
In this as with most of his votes this year, Gibson is a reliable puppet of Republican House leaders John Boehner and Eric Kantor in refusing to support any tax increases or corporate loophole closings to deal with the alleged debt emergency.
More than that, Gibson is also a puppet of disgraced Republican political operative Grover Norquist -- Gibson has signed Norquist's pledge to never ever raise any tax or close any loophole.
Norquist famously wants a federal government so small that radical Republicans can drown it in a bathtub.
Which would mean the end of Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, environmental regulation, VA hospitals, etc.
Gibson did four Independence Day events Monday, and evidently said nothing about his lack of independence as our Member of Congress, since he is more beholden to John Boehner, Eric Kantor, and Grover Norquist than he is to his constituents.
But then puppets never say anything that would upset their puppetmasters.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Southern RenssCo Dems sponsor forum on consolidation
The Democratic Committees of East Greenbush, Nassau and Schodack
are hosting a forum and
Bagel Breakfast
Saturday, June 25, 2011 from 9:30 – 11 a.m. at the
East Schodack Fire House 3071 Route 150, East Schodack
What will Gov. Cuomo’s Consolidation Plan mean to you?
Guest Speaker: Mark Streb
selaer County DA Rich McNally and Investigator Gary Gordon
We will provide the bagels, fixings and coffee
you provide the questions
$5 suggested donation plus a non-perishable food item to donate to the food pantry at Consens-U
For more information and to register visit www.schodackdemocrats.com
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Gibson votes to kill Medicare - AGAIN
Isn't it just like a Republican to double down on failure? Faced with the loss of NY 26 and overwhelming poll numbers showing how much the American people hate the Ryan Budget and its Medicare-killing provisions, Chris Gibson cast a second vote to kill Medicare and raise health care costs for New York seniors.
But while Gibson is doubling down on the House Republican plan to end Medicare, he is still refusing to end taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil or tax breaks for millionaires. In a procedural move, Gibson voted to accept the House Republicans’ controversial budget which includes the Republican plan to end Medicare. Gibson’s plan is for millionaires to get a $100,000 tax break and seniors to get a $6,400 medical bill.
But while Gibson is doubling down on the House Republican plan to end Medicare, he is still refusing to end taxpayer giveaways to Big Oil or tax breaks for millionaires. In a procedural move, Gibson voted to accept the House Republicans’ controversial budget which includes the Republican plan to end Medicare. Gibson’s plan is for millionaires to get a $100,000 tax break and seniors to get a $6,400 medical bill.
The move Gibson used to signal his unwavering support for big oil and millionaires and "let them eat cake" attitude toward the rest of us, was his support of a “deeming resolution” in H. Res. 287 which states “the provisions of House Concurrent Resolution 34 […] shall have force and effect […] in the House as though Congress has adopted such concurrent resolution”. [H. Res. 287, Vote #382, 6/1/11]
The result: millionaires get more than a $100,000 tax cut in GOP Budget, while seniors get a $6,400 medical bill. [Tax Policy Center via Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 4/20/11, 4/07/11]
Gibson voted to end Medicare by supporting the Republican budget. [H Con. Res. 34, Vote #277, 4/15/11]; opposed a measure that could have cut taxpayer subsidies to big oil when he voted to bypass consideration of the Big Oil Welfare Repeal Act of 2011 (H.R. 1689) which would repeal key taxpayer funded subsidies for oil and gas companies. As reported by The Hill newspaper, “House Democrats intend to force a vote on a measure that would eliminate a key oil industry tax break when Republicans bring a bill to expand domestic oil and-gas drilling to the floor Thursday.” [H Res 245, Vote #293, 5/05/11; The Hill, 5/04/11; CBS News, 5/04/11]
But it is not just us saying Gibson wants to kill Medicare. Read what others are saying:
- Wall Street Journal: The House Republican Budget for 2012 Would “Essentially End Medicare.” “The plan would essentially end Medicare, which now pays most of the health-care bills for 48 million elderly and disabled Americans, as a program that directly pays those bills.” [Wall Street Journal, 4/4/11
- Nonpartisan Congressional Research Service: Individuals Would Not Be Able to Enroll in Current Medicare Program. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) found that the Republican budget ends Medicare: “Individuals who become eligible (based either on age or disability) for Medicare in 2022 and later years would not be able to enroll in the current Medicare program. Instead, they would be given the option of enrolling in a private insurance plan through a newly established Medicare exchange.” [CRS Report, 4/13/11]
- NCPSSM: GOP Budget Plan Destroys Medicare and Cuts Social Security Benefits. Max Richtman, executive vice-president of the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare, said the Republican budget would destroy Medicare: “Over time, this will destroy the only health insurance program available to 47 million Americans.” [NCPSSM press release, 4/5/11]
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
NY-20: Gibson rallies the tea party
Guest post: was taken from DailyKos where it originally appeared. It is posted here with the permission of the author, blogger devtob.
For a career Army officer, Republican Chris Gibson, who easily won NY-20 in 2010, has become a pretty good politician.
Though he was recruited for NY-20 by the GOP establishment, Gibson knows he has to keep the tea party radicals happy, even if he occasionally upsets them on sideshow issues like NPR funding.
So Wednesday evening, Gibson did a tele-town hall with tea party types, and it was a love fest.
There is a podcast-like recording of the conference call , though it apparently has been edited to remove the first few questions and a probable Gibson colloquoy with Bircher/tea party leader Spyder (the weird cut happens around 17:05, just after the thing really starts).
I wonder what that's about.
After the cut, Gibson is asked about Ron Paul's bill to audit the Federal Reserve.
Gibson is not a Bircher, but he knows his small audience here, which generally supports the Bircher candidate for the GOP presidential nomination -- Ron Paul.
There was no explicit discussion of how Gibson voted to end Medicare, after saying he opposed vouchers during the campaign. Presumably none of the Bircher/tea partiers cared that Gibson lied, because they think Medicare is unconstitutional.
But Medicare did come up implicitly in a brief discussion of the NY-26 debacle for the House GOP.
Like a pro.
The dog whistle in that word salad is that Gibson wholeheartedly supports the radical Ryan Republican budget, which would eliminate Medicare, decimate Medicaid, cut taxes even more for the wealthy and corporations, and do little to reduce the deficit, let alone pay back the debt, for 10 years.
Bircher/tea partiers on the call surely heard the dog whistle, and presumably lapped it up.
In his farewell, Gibson said he would remain true to working for "job creation, deficit reduction and protection of freedoms."
Of course, no one asked what he had done for job creation, other than what Republicans always do, to little real effect -- cut taxes for the rich even more, while decrying the deficit and the debt largely caused by tax cuts.
And, in this instance, Gibson's vote to help needy billionaires had ZERO effect, since the radical Ryan Republican budget will not be enacted in this Congress.
Naturally, Gibson told his far-right base that he looks "forward to interacting" with them "as we go forward."
IMHO, Gibson will be tough to beat next year, in whatever district he gets after redistricting.
Sure, he's lying about Medicare, and speaking in inoffensive GOP cliches that mask the real Republican platform -- lower taxes for the rich and fewer services/programs for the non-rich.
But he's become an accomplished political liar, repeating Boehner talking points with Boy Scout conviction, and I fear that act will convince too many voters.
For a career Army officer, Republican Chris Gibson, who easily won NY-20 in 2010, has become a pretty good politician.
Though he was recruited for NY-20 by the GOP establishment, Gibson knows he has to keep the tea party radicals happy, even if he occasionally upsets them on sideshow issues like NPR funding.
So Wednesday evening, Gibson did a tele-town hall with tea party types, and it was a love fest.
There is a podcast-like recording of the conference call , though it apparently has been edited to remove the first few questions and a probable Gibson colloquoy with Bircher/tea party leader Spyder (the weird cut happens around 17:05, just after the thing really starts).
I wonder what that's about.
After the cut, Gibson is asked about Ron Paul's bill to audit the Federal Reserve.
Gibson said he was a cosponsor, adding:
"Ron Paul's becoming a friend, he's had me over for dinner, I go to his office to chat."
Gibson is not a Bircher, but he knows his small audience here, which generally supports the Bircher candidate for the GOP presidential nomination -- Ron Paul.
There was no explicit discussion of how Gibson voted to end Medicare, after saying he opposed vouchers during the campaign. Presumably none of the Bircher/tea partiers cared that Gibson lied, because they think Medicare is unconstitutional.
But Medicare did come up implicitly in a brief discussion of the NY-26 debacle for the House GOP.
Gibson offered banal talking points, rallying the troops, and never mentioning Medicare (at 27 to 28):
"Let me just say this, don't lose heart about what happened in NY-26.
Do not take counsel of your fears, there's a myriad of explanations. But at the end of the day, we go forward.
We've got the right plan, the only plan out there that meets the vision, we've got the only plan that is pro-growth and fiscally responsible, that's gonna put America back to work and begin to move us back towards a balanced budget, that pays down the debt over time.When Gibson said "pro-growth and fiscally responsible," he slowed down and almost whispered.
Join me at the barricade, and this country will go forward."
Like a pro.
The dog whistle in that word salad is that Gibson wholeheartedly supports the radical Ryan Republican budget, which would eliminate Medicare, decimate Medicaid, cut taxes even more for the wealthy and corporations, and do little to reduce the deficit, let alone pay back the debt, for 10 years.
Bircher/tea partiers on the call surely heard the dog whistle, and presumably lapped it up.
In his farewell, Gibson said he would remain true to working for "job creation, deficit reduction and protection of freedoms."
Of course, no one asked what he had done for job creation, other than what Republicans always do, to little real effect -- cut taxes for the rich even more, while decrying the deficit and the debt largely caused by tax cuts.
And, in this instance, Gibson's vote to help needy billionaires had ZERO effect, since the radical Ryan Republican budget will not be enacted in this Congress.
Naturally, Gibson told his far-right base that he looks "forward to interacting" with them "as we go forward."
IMHO, Gibson will be tough to beat next year, in whatever district he gets after redistricting.
Sure, he's lying about Medicare, and speaking in inoffensive GOP cliches that mask the real Republican platform -- lower taxes for the rich and fewer services/programs for the non-rich.
But he's become an accomplished political liar, repeating Boehner talking points with Boy Scout conviction, and I fear that act will convince too many voters.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Another Gibson lie about Medicare
Rookie Rep.Chris Gibson voted to kill Medicare, and substitute a voucher program that will impoverish future seniors.
Gibson has dutifully lied that he voted to "preserve and protect" Medicare by killing it, and he has also lied, at every opportunity, that the Ryan/Boehner Republican plan to kill Medicare would have no impact on current (and some future) Medicare beneficiaries.
Gibson knows next to nothing about Medicare, and is only repeating Boehner/Ryan talking points on how to lie to his constituents.
Unlike Gibson, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.does know quite a bit about Medicare.
Also unlike Gibson, Sebelius is not a serial liar.
Sebelius noted today that the Ryan/Boehner Republican plan to kill Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, will indeed affect current beneficiaries:
"The Affordable Care Act takes a huge step in closing the donut hole, 50 percent this year of the cost of drugs purchased in the coverage gap would disappear, and over time the whole coverage gap would disappear. Seniors now qualify for screenings -- cancer screenings, mammograms, a variety of preventive care without copays out of pocket. That would disappear."
So, current Medicare beneficiaries would pay a lot more for drugs and preventive care under the Ryan/Boehner Republican plan to kill Medicare.
But, naturally, seniors of limited means who rely on Medicaid and Medicare will suffer more -- that's the Republican way.
The Medicaid cuts in the Ryan/Boehner budget would affect poor seniors immediately, according to Sebelius:
"Medicaid cuts would start right away, so those seniors would be the first to be impacted. The voucher plan doesn't hit for 10 years, but not only do the new benefits for every senior go away, but the dually-qualified seniors -- the poorest, oldest, sickest seniors, who are often in nursing homes, would have their benefits cut immediately."
The Ryan/Boehner Republican budget that Gibson supports and lies 24/7 about will not become law, because there is a Democratic Senate and President, for now.
But Gibson's constituents must be reminded that he voted to kill Medicare via a voucher system he said he opposed during the campaign.
And that, coupled with his vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Gibson supports today's seniors paying a lot more for their health care.
Gibson will surely lie a lot more about his plan to kill Medicare, cripple Medicaid, and screw current and future seniors from now until Nov. 6, 2012.
He should be called on it every time.
Gibson has dutifully lied that he voted to "preserve and protect" Medicare by killing it, and he has also lied, at every opportunity, that the Ryan/Boehner Republican plan to kill Medicare would have no impact on current (and some future) Medicare beneficiaries.
Gibson knows next to nothing about Medicare, and is only repeating Boehner/Ryan talking points on how to lie to his constituents.
Unlike Gibson, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.does know quite a bit about Medicare.
Also unlike Gibson, Sebelius is not a serial liar.
Sebelius noted today that the Ryan/Boehner Republican plan to kill Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act, will indeed affect current beneficiaries:
"The Affordable Care Act takes a huge step in closing the donut hole, 50 percent this year of the cost of drugs purchased in the coverage gap would disappear, and over time the whole coverage gap would disappear. Seniors now qualify for screenings -- cancer screenings, mammograms, a variety of preventive care without copays out of pocket. That would disappear."
So, current Medicare beneficiaries would pay a lot more for drugs and preventive care under the Ryan/Boehner Republican plan to kill Medicare.
But, naturally, seniors of limited means who rely on Medicaid and Medicare will suffer more -- that's the Republican way.
The Medicaid cuts in the Ryan/Boehner budget would affect poor seniors immediately, according to Sebelius:
"Medicaid cuts would start right away, so those seniors would be the first to be impacted. The voucher plan doesn't hit for 10 years, but not only do the new benefits for every senior go away, but the dually-qualified seniors -- the poorest, oldest, sickest seniors, who are often in nursing homes, would have their benefits cut immediately."
The Ryan/Boehner Republican budget that Gibson supports and lies 24/7 about will not become law, because there is a Democratic Senate and President, for now.
But Gibson's constituents must be reminded that he voted to kill Medicare via a voucher system he said he opposed during the campaign.
And that, coupled with his vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Gibson supports today's seniors paying a lot more for their health care.
Gibson will surely lie a lot more about his plan to kill Medicare, cripple Medicaid, and screw current and future seniors from now until Nov. 6, 2012.
He should be called on it every time.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Gibson's fake jobs vote ~ a Guest Post by Mark Berger, Nassau Democratic Chairman
Last week my wife received a mailer, sent at taxpayer’s expense, from Congressman Chris Gibson. I guess he doesn’t consider male Democrats as part of his constituency.
Since jobs are issue number one in our country, Gibson leads off by saying he voted for “creating jobs by removing impediments to growth.” Did he vote for a jobs bill? No, he did not. After 4 months control of the House of Representatives, the Republicans have yet to put forth a single jobs bill.
The phrase “impediments to growth” is Republican code for regulation. In this case, the Republicans want to require a job impact study before the EPA adopts any environmental regulation. Their goal is to stifle the EPA by pitting employment against environmental protection. This is not a jobs bill, because it will not have any impact on the level of unemployment we are experiencing.
Gibson’s vote has nothing really to do with jobs, and, from my perspective, it has everything to do with making the Koch Brothers and Carl Rove happy. Rove and the Koch’s are absolutely opposed to the EPA. Remember, they poured over $600,000 into campaign ads that attacked Scott Murphy, which helped Gibson win. Might he owe them one?
If the Republicans were interested in keeping America competitive in the world economy they would be supporting the president’s green economy and education initiatives. But they are not.
Gibson and his fellow Republicans keep marching out their bogus claim that regulation is what’s hurting American businesses. The truth is some regulations work and others don’t. But one thing is certain: without regulation, we get toxic waste sites, unsafe work places, and unsavory financial products. Think Dewey Loeffel, think black lung disease, think climate change, think the financial meltdown of 2008, the savings and loan collapse of the 80’s, and the Great Depression.
After the worldwide financial collapse in 2008, free market guru and Bush’s fed chair, Alan Greenspan admitted he was wrong to believe that the directors and managers of the large banks and investment houses would honor their fiduciary responsibilities and, thus, would never back worthless securities nor push marginal mortgages. His philosophical position of free trade did not work in the real world where organized greed and a hands-off policy on regulation nearly brought on the second great depression. Did the real world conform to Greenspan’s philosophical viewpoint, no, it did not and we are still picking up the pieces of this misguided political philosophy.
Back to Gibson. In his mailing, he points to his vote against the use of “un-elected” agency czars as if that is something that matters. As he knows and so do we, we do not elect agency heads, we elect the president and he makes appointments with the advice and consent of congress. Bush appointed so-call czars for homeland security and drug enforcement and so has Obama. With all the serious problems that confront our country why waste time on this?
Ironically, the one place where Mr. Gibson can control federal spending is in the running of his office. Here I expected big cuts, just like the Republicans are calling for all over the place. Yet all Gibson was able to cut was 5% of his office budget. Is Congressman Gibson realizing that running an efficient and responsive government office costs money? Does he realize that making across the board cuts often creates more problems than it solves?
I hope Chris Gibson takes the time to learn history’s lessons rather than becoming a victim of a philosophy which fails in the world in which we live
Since jobs are issue number one in our country, Gibson leads off by saying he voted for “creating jobs by removing impediments to growth.” Did he vote for a jobs bill? No, he did not. After 4 months control of the House of Representatives, the Republicans have yet to put forth a single jobs bill.
The phrase “impediments to growth” is Republican code for regulation. In this case, the Republicans want to require a job impact study before the EPA adopts any environmental regulation. Their goal is to stifle the EPA by pitting employment against environmental protection. This is not a jobs bill, because it will not have any impact on the level of unemployment we are experiencing.
Gibson’s vote has nothing really to do with jobs, and, from my perspective, it has everything to do with making the Koch Brothers and Carl Rove happy. Rove and the Koch’s are absolutely opposed to the EPA. Remember, they poured over $600,000 into campaign ads that attacked Scott Murphy, which helped Gibson win. Might he owe them one?
If the Republicans were interested in keeping America competitive in the world economy they would be supporting the president’s green economy and education initiatives. But they are not.
Gibson and his fellow Republicans keep marching out their bogus claim that regulation is what’s hurting American businesses. The truth is some regulations work and others don’t. But one thing is certain: without regulation, we get toxic waste sites, unsafe work places, and unsavory financial products. Think Dewey Loeffel, think black lung disease, think climate change, think the financial meltdown of 2008, the savings and loan collapse of the 80’s, and the Great Depression.
After the worldwide financial collapse in 2008, free market guru and Bush’s fed chair, Alan Greenspan admitted he was wrong to believe that the directors and managers of the large banks and investment houses would honor their fiduciary responsibilities and, thus, would never back worthless securities nor push marginal mortgages. His philosophical position of free trade did not work in the real world where organized greed and a hands-off policy on regulation nearly brought on the second great depression. Did the real world conform to Greenspan’s philosophical viewpoint, no, it did not and we are still picking up the pieces of this misguided political philosophy.
Back to Gibson. In his mailing, he points to his vote against the use of “un-elected” agency czars as if that is something that matters. As he knows and so do we, we do not elect agency heads, we elect the president and he makes appointments with the advice and consent of congress. Bush appointed so-call czars for homeland security and drug enforcement and so has Obama. With all the serious problems that confront our country why waste time on this?
Ironically, the one place where Mr. Gibson can control federal spending is in the running of his office. Here I expected big cuts, just like the Republicans are calling for all over the place. Yet all Gibson was able to cut was 5% of his office budget. Is Congressman Gibson realizing that running an efficient and responsive government office costs money? Does he realize that making across the board cuts often creates more problems than it solves?
I hope Chris Gibson takes the time to learn history’s lessons rather than becoming a victim of a philosophy which fails in the world in which we live
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
NY-26: What you can do
The special election in NY-26 is two weeks from today, and is shaping up to be another national race in New York state.
As with NY-20 and NY-23, Republicans have held this western NY seat for decades. In the wake of Chris Lee's disgraceful resignation, the race among Republican Jane Corwin, Democrat Kathy Hochul and tea party self-funder Jack Davis is too close to call.
John Boehner knows this race is close, that's why he visited the district yesterday.
Karl Rove knows this race is close, that's why his shady PAC is spending $650K to try to save the lackluster Corwin.
You can help win this race, and send a message to the radical Republicans to stop their attacks on Medicare and Social Security.
You can give money here.
You can drive out to the Rochester suburbs for some canvassing.
You can phone bank from the comfort of your home, email Blake@KathyHochul.com for info.
This is a winnable race, but turnout will be key. And turnout depends on voter contacts.
Please do something to help Hochul contact voters.
As with NY-20 and NY-23, Republicans have held this western NY seat for decades. In the wake of Chris Lee's disgraceful resignation, the race among Republican Jane Corwin, Democrat Kathy Hochul and tea party self-funder Jack Davis is too close to call.
John Boehner knows this race is close, that's why he visited the district yesterday.
Karl Rove knows this race is close, that's why his shady PAC is spending $650K to try to save the lackluster Corwin.
You can help win this race, and send a message to the radical Republicans to stop their attacks on Medicare and Social Security.
You can give money here.
You can drive out to the Rochester suburbs for some canvassing.
You can phone bank from the comfort of your home, email Blake@KathyHochul.com for info.
This is a winnable race, but turnout will be key. And turnout depends on voter contacts.
Please do something to help Hochul contact voters.
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