“As Americans dig deeper into their pockets to make ends meet, I cannot, in good conscience, take more money out of their pockets for my own healthcare until an affordable healthcare plan is created which covers everyone.”
There's an oxymoron and some smoke and lights to get it started.......they will STILL be digging in our pockets.........they are trying to toss a line for all of us to grab the bait----not knowing what is on the other end......maybe we are fish instead of sheeple????
I would like to see a report with stats on how many insurance carriers carry cosmetic surgery coverage used when personl pain and suffering are used as reasons to have it done.....not just NYS but ALL the states.......remember NATIONAL HEALTH CARE will involve all states input.....and I dont want to hear another Hollywood activist tell me how it is so aweful......they will always get to the head of the line or jet over to another country.....I say kiss my a#$
...you are a product of your environment, your environment is a product of your priorities, your priorities are a product of you......
The replacement of morality and conscience with law produces a deadly paradox.
STOP BEING GOOD DEMOCRATS---STOP BEING GOOD REPUBLICANS--START BEING GOOD AMERICANS
21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Over $1M spent in race so far Five candidates report finances BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Candidates in the 21st Congressional District race have spent more than $1 million since Jan. 1 on campaigns leading to the Sept. 9 primary, according to recent fi - nancial disclosures with the Federal Election Commission. The total will increase as they enter the home stretch for the primary and thereafter as the primary winners battle it out to the Nov. 4 general election. The amount won’t come close to the $7.66 million candidates spent in the 2006 congressional race involving the 26th District. In their latest disclosures, fi ve 21st District congressional candidates reported they raised $387,531 between July 1 and Aug. 20, the last filing period before the primary. Democrats Tracey Brooks, Darius Shahinfar, Phillip Steck and Paul Tonko and Republican James Buhrmaster filed reports for this period. Democrat Joseph Sullivan and Republican Steven Vasquez did not file reports. Since Jan. 1, all seven candidates have raised more than $1.3 million, spending approximately $1.1 million of the total through Aug. 20. They spent their money setting up and operating campaigns, running media ads, sending out mail and attempting to bounce one another off the primary ballot. “It is very expensive to go on TV,” said Steck spokesman Tom Nardacci. Steck has supplemented media efforts by knocking on doors, visiting some 20,000 to date, he said. The last 10 days leading to the primary promise to bring even more ads and mailings from candidates as they seek to gain that fi nal edge among key voters. Democratic candidate Darius Shahinfar, for example, just purchased $150,000 in TV spots to run during this period, spending most of the $191,000 he has on hand, he said. He also plans to send out mailings before Sept. 9. According to the FEC filings, Brooks not only raised the most money to date, $502,673, she also spent the most, $436,790. She has spent her money to run TV commercials, send out five mailers and air three radio spots, said campaign spokesman Kyle Kotary. “We were the first to go on the air,” he said. Kotary calls the money well spent. “We have accomplished name recognition and she has been able to communicate her message to the voters,” he said. “We feel very comfortable and confi dent we will be able to get message out until the last day of campaign.” LOOKING CLOSE Indeed, Democratic insiders said the race is neck and neck between Tonko and Brooks, based on polling numbers they have seen. They said the race is so close that it falls within the slim margin of error. This is quite a change from an earlier poll that had Tonko ahead of his nearest competitor by more than 30 points. Tonko’s camp discounted this information, saying his poll numbers remain strong but adding that the race has become competitive. Tonko, who many observers immediately called the front runner when he entered the race in May, weeks after others had announced, raised the most money, $125,987, between July 1 and Aug. 20. “We out-raised everyone in the quarter,” said spokesman Beau Duffy. To date in total however, Tonko has raised $250,916, the second lowest of the five Democrats. Sullivan is last, as he has not raised enough funds to trigger a federal disclosure. Tonko has spent $183,705 on his campaign, leaving him with $67,000 to spend up to the primary. “We have been spending money on a Web page, toward salaries, rentals, for fundraisers, and we have done a couple of mailers and TV ads,” Duffy said. Tonko has more than enough to carry the campaign through to Sept. 9, Duffy said. In her latest FEC filing, Brooks said she raised $125,450, the second highest total among all the candidates. “She continues to garner support, volunteers, donors and endorsements as we draw near to Sept. 9,” Kotary said. “The fundraising is one of many campaign elements in which we have been first or have done better than anyone else.” Among all the candidates — Democrat and Republican — Tonko has received the most in contributions from labor groups and political action committees. He has received approximately $47,300 since Jan. 1. In the last quarter alone, he received about $24,000. He received $5,000 from the Machinists Non Partisan Political League and the American Federation of Teachers, $3,000 from the UNITE Here TIP Campaign Committee and $1,000 donations from the pipefitters and electrical unions, among others. Tonko also received $500 from the Schenectady First Fund, a PAC operated by Schenectady Mayor Brian U. Stratton. Brooks received the second highest total PAC contributions. She received $40,156 since Jan. 1 and more than $8,000 in the last reporting cycle. A main contributor is Emily’s List, which gave her more than $3,000. Buhrmaster received contributions from Keycorp Advocates Fund, NYS Bankers PAC and the BBL PAC, among others, none of them exceeding $500. STECK’S CHALLENGE Democrat candidate Phil Steck has not accepted money from national PACs and has bashed Brooks and Tonko for accepting “special interest” money in a series of TV ads, Nardacci said. Steck’s pre-primary disclosure states he received $3,625 in PAC money since Jan. 1. But Nardacci said Steck has returned money belonging to federal PACs but has kept money from local PACs. He has, for example, accepted money from the Committee to Elect Tom DiMezza ($350) and the Committee to Elect Michael Manning ($225). Each is identified as a political action committee under federal rules. “We believe in change. Barack Obama has set standards that they will not accept PAC money in this race and we think others should accept those standards,” Nardacci said. Kotary said the PAC money Brooks has accepted comes for organizations that support change and are endorsing “change candidates.” “These are all groups fighting for working families, for women’s rights and equal rights and for equal treatment regardless of gender and sexual orientation,” he said. Among the candidates, Buhrmaster has spent more than he has raised, $168,000 vs. $167,000, according to his latest financial disclosure. He still has $96,716 cash on hand. He had earlier loaned his campaign $100,000. Spokesman Josh Hills said Buhrmaster’s campaign expects to raise additional money to face the main Democratic challenger after the primary. He said Buhrmaster had to spend more money than expected in an unsuccessful effort to bump Republican Vasquez off the primary ballot. “We are focusing on fundraising and advertising and sending out mail,” Hills said. “The mail reminds people to vote on Primary Day, but certainly it will focus on our message.”
Steven Vasquez Political affiliation: Republican Age: 33 Residence: Ballston Lake Elected office: None Work: Founder of ReQuest, consumer electronics company Web site: http:// http://www.steven2008.com Views: Vasquez wants to reverse a trend that has concerned him the last few years -- a "degradation of civil rights" in the country and a "moving away from the constitution." He suggests Congress look toward eliminating the national debt and "stop wasting money overseas." The spending "strategy is based on a Cold War situation which is not relevant today." He wants to stop the looting of Social Security and Medicare funds and their use toward deficit spending. He also said oil companies influence lawmakers toward what they believe is most profitable for them.
Jim Buhrmaster Political affiliation: Republican Age: 62 Residence: Scotia Work: President and CEO, Buhrmaster Energy Group Elected office: Currently Schenectady County legislator Web site: http:// http://www.jimbuhrmaster.com Views: Running on a "business platform," Buhrmaster is focusing his campaign on the economy and energy. The government needs to get a handle on the economy and stop spending so much money overseas, providing support to other countries, he said. Along with an economic policy, we need an energy policy, that works for everyone, he said. Congress must investigate speculators and investors in the energy market and take serious steps toward alternative forms of energy and less dependency on foreign oil.
Paul Tonko Political affiliation: Democrat Age: 59 Residence: Amsterdam Work: Former president of New York State Energy Research and Development Authority Elected office: Former state assemblyman for 105th District Web site: http://www. paultonkoforcongress2008.com Views: Tonko said energy efficiency must be promoted with businesses, such as finding ways to heat and cool buildings with the temperature of the Earth. He said money must be invested in research and development. But he said the country can't just rely on alternative energy to solve the fuel crisis. He also said the infrastructure of the power system is failing, such as connectivity from state to state, and must be upgraded.
Darius Shahinfar Political affiliation: Democrat Age: 41 Residence: Albany Work: Former Capital District representative for Democrat U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand Elected office: None Web site: http:// http://www.dariusforcongress.com. Views: Shahinfar said the school property tax burden should be shifted off local residents by providing some public school funding from the federal government. He said No Child Left Behind has taken money away from the best and brightest students and led to unfunded mandates, and needs reform. He said federal funding should go toward development of solar, hydro and wind power and bio fuels, which he thinks will lead to job creation.
Joseph Sullivan Political affiliation: Democrat Age: 71 Residence: Albany Work: Retired legislative analyst for state Senate. Elected office: None (former Albany City GOP chairman) Web site: journals.aol.com/ lonerangeralbany/ lonerangeralbany/ Views: Sullivan's primary issue is maintaining homeland security and preparing the country in case of another natural disaster such as Hurricane Katrina. He wants to stop the entrance of illegal immigrants into the country, citing what he thinks is their involvement in terrorism. Also, he wants to keep troops in Iraq and maintain a steady flow of oil into the U.S. He would support a move to increase size of the U.S. military.
Phil Steck Political affiliation: Democrat Age: 49 Residence: Colonie Work: Civil rights, labor and employment attorney Elected office: Currently an Albany County legislator Web site: http://www.philsteck.com Views: Steck wants a federal health care system that would provide insurance for all -- while at the same time eliminating the need for the Medicaid program. He also wants private insurance companies to still offer supplemental insurance. Steck wants to cut military bases located throughout the world and reduce staffing at existing bases. He wants to address rising gas and food costs by investing in local farm production and promoting energy-efficiency standards.
Tracey Brooks Political affiliation: Democrat Age: 38 Residence: Coeymans Work: Former regional director for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y. Elected office: None Web site: http://www.traceybrooks.com Views: Brooks believes the federal government should provide health coverage for all, but suggests in the interim that a choice of private or public plans should be paid by employers or offered to individuals on a sliding fee scale. She has also campaigned on protecting abortion rights and ensuring pay equity for women. Brooks says controlling gas prices needs to involve conserving, spending money on renewable energy and ending tax breaks for oil companies.
21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Candidates in a fight to the finish Primary to decide opponents for McNulty’s seat BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Democrat Phillip Steck is betting his house that he will win Tuesday’s primary for the 21st Congressional District. He took out a nearly $100,000 home equity loan and put the money into his campaign, according to spokesman Tom Nardacci. “He sees the race as competitive and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him,” Nardacci said. Steck is using the money for advertisements and mailings to reach Democrats who remain undecided on which candidate to support. He isn’t the only one making a final push for victory. Democratic candidate Tracey Brooks loaned her campaign $50,000 for the final days before the primary, according to filings with the Federal Election Commission. “It is going to the final get-out-the vote effort,” said campaign spokesman Kyle Kotary. “Tracey is working hard to earn the support of every voter in the district. She is maintaining an incredibly energetic, enthusiastic and tiring schedule of 16- to 18-hour days of phone calling, walking and doing events. She is fighting to the very end, and that will show in the end.” And Democratic candidate Darius Shahinfar recently purchased nearly $200,000 in television time and is sending out mass mailings. The money represents the bulk of his contributions. Shahinfar did little TV advertising and few mailings prior to his big push, focusing instead on pounding the pavement and knocking on doors. “We are looking at a number of undecided voters, and we feel the message Darius is carrying will be effective,” said campaign manager Peter Clerkin. In short, the battle for the 21st Congressional District seat is going down to the wire. The primary is Tuesday. “It is a wide-open race,” said Brooks spokesman Kyle Kotary. Clerkin said the race remains competitive because a fair number of people remain undecided. “People don’t know too much about the candidates,” he said. Steck spokesman Tom Nardacci said the final days of the campaign are critical in swaying undecided voters, hence the major push to send out mailings, run TV and radio commercials and place thousands of phone calls. “It’s a full-court press,” Kotary said. “It’s about talking to every single voter you can and not leaving any opportunities uncovered.” BY THE NUMBERS Democrats Brooks, Shahinfar, Steck, Joseph Sullivan and Paul Tonko and Republicans James Buhrmaster and Steven Vasquez are seeking the House of Representatives seat being vacated by Democrat Michael McNulty of Green Island. McNulty is retiring in January after 20 years in Congress. The district is heavily Democratic and has been in the hands of Democrats for decades. It includes Albany, Schenectady, Montgomery and Schoharie counties and parts of Fulton, Saratoga and Rensselaer counties. Candidates in both major parties have already spent more than $1 million on the campaign. In the latest financial disclosures to the Federal Election Commission, dated Wednesday, Steck loaned his campaign $94,000 and Brooks loaned hers $50,000. Tonko received $8,000 in new contributions. The remaining candidates filed no new reports beyond their Aug. 20 filings. Steck to date has spent $277,000 of the $355,000 he has raised, not including the $94,000 he just added to his campaign. Brooks has spent the most out of the candidates — $437,000 of the $502,673 she has raised, excluing her latest investment. Tonko, who joined the race late, has lagged behind the other candidates in fundraising, collecting $250,916. He has spent his money on TV ads and mailings but had focused most of his time on meeting people, said spokesman Beau Duffy. “Paul’s forte is getting out with people and getting out his message,” Duffy said. Brain Quail, chairman of the Schenectady County Democratic Committee, said he remains confi - dent Tonko will win. Tonko retains strong name recognition among voters, primarily based on his 24 years as an assemblyman in the 105th District. The 21st Congressional District encompasses large parts of the 105th District. In addition, Tonko has the backing of various Democratic county committees and labor unions. He also has the Working Families Party’s endorsement. Steck has the Independence Party line. Tonko is expected to win Schenectady and Montgomery counties, his longtime bases. However, Albany County remains the key battleground in the primary, and it is unclear how well he will do there. Nardacci said he expects 50,000 Democrats to vote in the primary, or about 30 percent of the total possible. Of the 50,000, between 50 percent and 57 percent will be Albany County Democrats, he said. Key Albany County Democratic leaders have split their support among the candidates. Albany County Executive Michael Breslin and Albany state Sen. Neil Breslin support Tonko. The Albany County Democratic Committee and dozens of local party officials support Steck. Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, Mc-Nulty’s father, Jack McNulty, former mayor of Green Island, and McNulty’s sister, Green Island Mayor Ellen McNulty Ryan, support Brooks. She also has the support of several labor unions and several special interest groups, such as Emily’s List, and of local party officials. Shahinfar is waging a grassroots campaign and has few major endorsements. Sullivan has no endorsements and very little money. “Every voter makes a difference. It is a close election,” Quail said. GOP SIDE On the Republican side, Buhrmaster is waging a strong campaign against Vasquez. He has raised $167,000 and has the endorsements of every county Republican committee in the 21st District, and he has the Conservative Party ballot line. Vasquez has few endorsements and has raised little money. Buhrmaster spokesman Josh Hills said the campaign is taking the primary seriously, however. “We are confident we will win, but we are not taking any chances,” he said. The Buhrmaster campaign is sending out a third and possibly a fourth mailer before Tuesday. “We think it is important to show that the Republican base is strong and behind Jim,” Hills said. A strong turnout also sends a message to Democrats, Hills added. “We have an eye toward the future,” he said. Buhrmaster hopes to step up fundraising efforts after the primary for the general election. “After the primary, you will see an exchange of ideas and you will see some very sharp difference no matter who their candidate is,” Hills said. Republicans believe they have a chance in the district because of the large number of voters who do not belong to any party, Hills said. “There are 100,000 blanks. It is a whole different situation when it is an open seat,” he said.
I for one view incumbents as being the problem as they've been in office for years and look at the shape this state is in and they were the ones who made it all possible with their tax and spend policies.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
21ST CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT Tonko bests competition Buhrmaster secures spot on GOP ballot BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Paul Tonko outran the field in Tuesday’s Democratic primary, while James Buhrmaster handily won the Republican primary in the races for the 21st Congressional District nominations. By 10:40 p.m. Tracey Brooks had conceded in front of her supporters at the Victory Cafe on Sheridan Avenue, and pledged support to Tonko. She said the “glass ceiling” got thinner during her effort, but not thin enough. She was the strongest contender against Tonko, but trailed by about 3,500 votes with more than 90 percent counted. Late Tuesday Tonko was approaching 14,000 votes with Brooks above 11,000. Phillip Steck was running third with more than 6,000 votes. Darius Shahinfar garnered about 10 percent of the Democratic vote and Joseph Sullivan, about 2 percent, in unoffi cial tallies. Brooks’ campaign had earlier filed an order in state Supreme Court in Albany County to impound election machines and all paper ballots immediately after the polls closed at 9 p.m. “It’s standard procedure in a close election should there not be an obvious winner,” Brooks’ spokesman Kyle Kotary said. “We figured it will go down to the wire.” The final count awaits 1,500 paper ballots yet to be tallied. No date has been set as to when the ballots will be opened, but Tonko’s margin appeared beyond challenge. Buhrmaster will face Tonko in the Nov. 4 general election. Earlier in the day, Democrat Alex Torres of Amsterdam said he voted for Tonko. “He is a longtime friend of the community and “someone I know for many years, and he is an Amsterdamian.” Tonko defeated Brooks by a ratio of 10 to 1 in his native Montgomery County. Torres said he was not familiar with the other candidates, other than through their advertisements. He said he prefers to meet candidates face to face. “It is very important to me to know the candidates. I like to ask questions,” he said. Miki Conn said she voted for Tonko because he “truly is out there for people. He is interested in people and in people’s lives.” Conn said she did consider other candidates, but “I went with someone I trusted.” Tonko also has the Working Families Party line. Democratic candidate Phil Steck also remains on the ballot with the Independence Party line. RACE TO SUCCEED The race is for the successor to Democrat Michael McNulty, D- Green Island, who is retiring in January after 20 years in the House of Representatives. He was preceded by Rep. Sam Stratton, father of the current Schenectady Mayor, Brian Stratton. Tonko officially entered the race in May, weeks after Brooks and Steck, although he had been a rumored candidate prior to the announcement. He retired last year as assemblyman for the 105th District after 24 years in office, to become head of the New York State Energy and Research Development Authority. He resigned from that position April 25 to run for Congress. Of all the candidates, Tonko had the strongest name recognition and quickly lined up the endorsements of Democrat committees in Schenectady, Fulton, Montgomery and Schohaire counties. He also had the support of several key politicians in that important county. Tonko has labor union support from AFSCME/CSEA, the New York State Public Employees Federation, NYSUT, the National Federation of Federal Employees and 1199 SEIU, among others. Brooks is a former aide to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York and was relatively unknown when she entered the race. She was the first to declare and she spent the most, more than $500,000, to make her name and positions known. She had the strong support of special interest groups including Emily’s List. Emily’s assists women who support abortion rights. She also lined up key endorsements from the McNulty family, although Michael McNulty did not make an endorsement, and had the support of Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings. In addition she had union support from the Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers, the Amalgamated Transit Union, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. Steck won the Albany County Democratic Committee endorsement, while Saratoga and Rensselaer Democrats voted to wait until after the primary to endorse. Steck, an Albany County legislator, private practice attorney and chairman of the Colonie Democratic Committee, and Darius Shahinfar, a former aide of Congresswoman Kirsten Gillibrand, pumped in thousands of dollars in the fi nal 10 days of the primary race to run political advertisements. At one point 11 Democrats were in the race, but six dropped out before filing petitions in July. The remaining five spent more than $1 million getting to the primary. On the Republican side, Buhrmaster and Steven Vasquez had battled from the start. Burhmaster painted himself as independent candidate and Vasquez as a Libertarian. Buhrmaster lined up the endorsements of all the Republican and Conservative county committees while Vasquez received the endorsement of Ron Paul, who made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for president. Buhrmaster spokesman Josh Hills said “our strategy will depend on who the Democratic nominee is. We will continue with our message on cleaning up Washington.” The district also consists of all of Schenectady, Montgomery and Schoharie counties and part of Saratoga, Fulton and Rensselaer counties.
Since I know both of these men fairly well I would expect an honorable campaign. I will be very disappointed to see anything less from either of them. They are both good men of great integrity. I think the deciding factor will be whether you are in favor of more and bigger government involvement (Tonko) or less government and more involvement from the private sector (Buhrmaster).
Carl Strock THE VIEW FROM HERE Carl Strock can be reached at 395-3085 or by e-mail at carlstrock@dailygazette.com.
TONKO THE WINNER
So Paul Tonko defeated Tracey Brooks to become the Democratic candidate for Congress in the Albany-plus area. I guess this means my electronic mailbox will no longer be graced with Tracey Brooks e-mails every day, and that’s something I will just have to get used to. She or her staff have been the most energetic e-mailers I have encountered since the old Viagra salesmen worked the Internet. My inbox shows 186 messages from her this year, mostly in the past few months, announcing every endorsement, every policy position, every community event that she was involved with. I’m going to feel lonely and unloved now that, presumably, the messages will stop coming. In the end I suppose name recognition won the day. “Let’s see now — Tonko? Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of him.” Paul is a perfectly jolly fellow, whom I’ve dealt with off and on for many years, so I don’t doubt some people voted for him for that reason also, that is, for his amiability, but let me tell you, if he ever gets up on the floor of Congress to deliver a speech, the reporters there will be able to put their pencils away. He can run on and on with platitudes and buzzwords without every getting to the end of a sentence better than any other politician I know. His Republican opponent in November will be the estimable Schenectady County Legislator and businessman Jim Buhrmaster, which would make for a serious race except that Democrats outnumber Republicans about 3-2 in the district so that Tonko has to be counted a heavy favorite, in case you’re putting money down.
The reps should take a lesson from the dems, such as Tonko...get out there and kiss babies, shake hands with everyone and be at every single community function there is. Clearly that is all the sheeple need to see and hear and read for someone to win an election. The mantra from the sheeple is: 'S/he is such a nice guy/girl'.
Scary!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Mr. Tonko is quite a speaker.....I will often kid with him when we are at events together and both of us must speak that I have to go first because anything said AFTER him is just blah, blah. I am a horrible public speaker, usually scared to death with that deer in the headlights look, and will start my presentation kidding about Tonko's speaking ability vs. mine. If I do speak after him I tell people "yeah, what he said"......because he does hit on every buzzword and thought that surrounds the event.
ROTTERDAM Congressional hopefuls clash in debate Buhrmaster, Tonko tout differences BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
The two candidates for the 21st Congressional District sparred over energy policy and drilling, universal health care and transportation issues at a debate Tuesday sponsored by seven area chambers of commerce. In their first meeting since the Sept. 9 primary, Republican James Buhrmaster, president of Buhrmaster Energy Group Buhrmaster Tonko and a second-term Schenectady County legislator, tried to paint Democrat Paul Tonko as a career politician and himself as small businessman not afraid to take shots at either major party. The hourlong question-and-answer session took place at Mallozzi’s Restaurant. Tonko, a 24-year assemblyman and former chairman of the state Energy Research and Development Authority, responded by calling Buhrmaster’s attacks divisive, driven by half-truths and empty solutions. During the event, which started with a handshake, Buhrmaster repeatedly attacked Tonko, a tactic his campaign intends to use to define their differences, said Buhrmaster spokesman Josh Hills. “You will find that I am against regulation, against spending, against taxes and that my opponent is for them,” Buhrmaster said. Tonko waited until the end of the event to deliver a rebuttal: “We are friends, but I would ask you to share the whole story. It is not business against the rest of the world, it is not Paul Tonko against business and Buhrmaster. It is about working together.” Tonko has history and numbers on his side. The 21st District has been in the hands of Democrats for 50 years and is considered by political observers to be a safe seat for the party. Republicans counter there are 100,000 people not affiliated with either party who could swing the election. Tonko and Buhrmaster, who will face each other Nov. 4, contrasted on almost ever question during the event organized by the Chamber of Schenectady County. They are seeking to replace Rep. Michael McNulty, D-Green Island, who is retiring in January after 20 years in the House. He was preceded by Sam Stratton. The questions focused on issues of primary importance to small businesses that form the backbone of chamber membership, said Chamber of Schenectady County President Chuck Steiner. He said the forum is the first to focus on a congressional race and to include the various chambers. Representatives from chambers in Southern Saratoga, Schoharie, Fulton and Montgomery counties as well as those from Bethlehem and Guilderland attended. Together the chambers represent more than 7,000 businesses in the region comprising the 21st Congressional District. The Albany and Rensselaer chambers declined to participate. Here is a synopsis of Tonko’s and Buhrmaster’s responses to questions: Identify the top three issues in the 21st Congressional District. Tonko: Dealing with the energy crisis; establishing universal health care; and creating and retaining jobs. Buhrmaster: Getting a handle on energy costs by drilling offshore, building more nuclear power plants, developing alternative energy sources; ending gridlock in Washington; reducing regulations, cutting taxes and controlling spending. Employee Free Choice Act (Proposed legislation to make it easier for workers to unionize. Labor unions support the measure, chambers and many businesses oppose it). Buhrmaster: Opposes. “This issue clearly defines the difference between my opponent and myself.” Tonko: Supports it, saying it streamlines the collective bargaining process and allows for the growth of jobs. “Unionized labor is a powerful tool that helped build the region and the nation.” Universal health insurance costs on small business and mandates such as Timothy’s Law. The law requires smalls businesses of 50 or more employees that offer insurance to provide mental health coverage. Tonko: A healthy workforce saves employers money in the long run. He also said a singlepayer health care system can help small business achieve greater savings through group rates, thereby resolving the issue of unfunded mandates. Buhrmaster: Small businesses cannot afford universal health care, the cost is exorbitant. How should the country’s federal Highway Transportation Trust Fund be maintained, and how do you balance the competing needs, like canals, roadways and railways? Buhrmaster: Money raised through leases to drill for energy in the continental U.S. and offshore should go to the fund. There also needs to be investment in fast freight and fast rail and a major reconstruction of Route 5. Tonko: Develop a master plan to repair bridges and roadways and use bonds to pay for the work. Invest in mass and public transit. Establish high-speed freight and passenger rail in area. What incentive programs do you support to create a green marketplace? Tonko: Use tax credits and incentives, rather than penalties, for people who produce alternative energy; return of production tax credit for renewable energy; work with local institutions of higher learning on research and development of alternative energy sources; invest in the power grid. Buhrmaster: Develop alternative, renewable energy sources and begin drilling for oil today. How would you create jobs in the 21st Congressional District? Buhrmaster: Decrease spending, decease the size of government, decrease taxes. Tonko: Establish a $100 billion, 10-year plan to research and develop alternative energy sources and invest in fast freight and passenger rail. What would be your goals during your first six months in offi ce? Tonko: End the war, get assigned to the right committees, work cooperatively on solutions. Buhrmaster: Be careful in spending “your money”; would place more oversight on energy markets; would start drilling immediately and building nuclear power plants; would not vote for new taxes on income or on capital gains.
Tonko a fine public servant, would be good in Congress
Chris Chichester’s (Sept. 21 Op-ed) use of sweeping generalizations, halftruths, and his failure to do even a shred of research on Paul — either his record as state Assemblyman or his proposed energy policy — illustrate how little respect he has for readers. Paul Tonko has been a remarkable public servant for the residents of the city and Schenectady County, and he will be a remarkable congressman for the 21st District. As an assemblyman he saved jobs, created jobs, and helped businesses large and small. After the disastrous flood of 2006, Paul fought to prevent Beech-Nut from moving its factory out of state. He helped bring Super Power to Schenectady, and helped create the Power for Jobs program, which provided low-cost energy to businesses and non-profits who promised to retain or create jobs in New York state. Paul was also instrumental in creating Metroplex, which has fueled the revitalization of Schenectady County and creation of many new small businesses. Paul also fought to limit the deregulation of the state’s energy industry by Gov. Pataki. In 2005, he sponsored legislation that increased Home Energy Assistance Plan benefits by providing state money to help working families and seniors pay those high-energy costs. It was the first legislation of its type in the nation. These accomplishments are but a small part of the total list. Paul Tonko’s record speaks for itself, and it’s why the people he has represented kept sending him back to the Assembly. We have no doubt he will serve us with the same energy and passion in Congress.
SUSAN SAVAGE BRIAN U. STRATTON Schenectady The writers are, respectively, chairwoman of the county Legislature and mayor of Schenectady.
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