The powerful Democrat said she held meetings during the health care debate of 1993 but is concerned that people have showed up to recent meetings with guns, as one man did outside a town hall with President Obama in New Hampshire.
“I think it’s a way to disseminate misinformation,” Slaughter said. “They’re not debating things that are in the bill.”
By discussing the bill, H.R. 3200 over the phone, she can reach as many as 9,000 constituents, including those who couldn’t make a meeting or those who lack child care, she said.
Slaughter’s absence at town hall meetings has caused some residents to ask where she is, and “Where’s Louise?” buttons have been spotted at rallies. Tele-town halls allow constituents to ask questions, but the format does not allow Slaughter to see signs or buttons.
Rep. Chris Lee, R-Clarence, Erie County, has also chosen tele-town halls instead of in-person events.
“It’s really important for the community to be paying attention,” said Gardella, a chemistry professor at the University at Buffalo with decades of experience working on environmental issues in Western New York.
“If you’re minimizing the potential for leaks,” he continued, “that starts to factor into the argument about the stability of the temporary storage site. And the stability of the storage site is going to be critical in arguing whether [the radioactive material] stays here or not.”
Neither the Corps of Engineers nor the advisory board has said it believes conditions constitute a public health risk at this time.
But the results of a plethora of studies and risk analyses are the building blocks for the final decision on whether to keep the radioactive materials buried in Western New York or to ship them somewhere else for disposal.
During the national health care debate, we talk plenty about what the Democrats are doing, but what about the Republicans? Livingston County Democrat Judith Hunter reminds us to keep an eye on Chris Lee of NY-26, who represents Greece and other west-side Monroe County suburbs:
People in business have a term for what they need to do if they want to stop some sort of change. They call it spreading “FUD”: fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Congressman Chris Lee’s statements on health care, both to The Livingston County News and in mailings we’ve all received, demonstrate that Lee’s former corporate career has trained him well. We’ve been awash in FUD, almost none of which stands up to scrutiny.
…
Congressman Lee likes to pretend that highly profitable insurance companies aren’t even a part of the health care picture. As he said in these pages on July 30, “[T]he question has not been whether we need to reform the system - we absolutely do - but whether the government can do a better job of managing your health care than you and your doctor can.”
This ignores the reality that health insurance bureaucrats, who refer to any spending for care they have to provide as “losses,” control every aspect of how we are cared for by our doctors right now. Insurance companies are in the business of making money, not making sure we get appropriate care, and we all know or have experienced ourselves situations where our doctors cannot treat us as they would like because insurance won’t cover the costs.
Saturday’s health care forum, sponsored by PDA and other local progressive organizations (including, yours, truly-RT) drew a capacity crowd… about 500… eager to learn what can be done to enact universal single-payer health care this year. 50 cities across the country participated in,”Single-payer” day events and John Conyers chose to attend ours. RT was there and so begins our report (video footage will be forth coming later this week)
The Speakers & their general message:
Congressman John Conyers: This is the year to take action. Call your congressman. Politely insist on speaking to him. “Hey, we’re nice guys.” Conyers mentioned Max Baucus, head of the Senate Finance Committee and how he had stated there was no room at the table for Single-payer; “He may need a new table.”
(THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE)
Congressman Eric Massa: 35 life or death situations have come to him in his 1st 5 months in office, begging for help with insurance companies who refuse to provide care. He has intervened and been successful at times, but thinks it is ridiculous for politicians to be involved in health care decisions. Everybody should write a letter to the editor of every newspaper in their district in support of HR676 and then get 2 other people to do the same. The smear and fear campaigns can no longer be allowed to run this show. “Those who lie must be exposed!”
(THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE)
Activist/Actress Mimi Kennedy: 60 similar meetings are being held today around the country.We have been sold a damaged bill of goods in regards to health care in this nation. We have been told to smoke cigarettes and eat at McDonalds. It will be good for us. There will be no consequences for these actions. Now is the time for ordinary people to speak up and demand a solution to the health care mess. Stenny Hoyer promised to hold hearings on HR 676 (Single Payer Bill in Congress) but so far has not. Call him to encourage him to keep his promise. Phone # 202-225-3130 (be nice, but, be insistent.)
(THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE)
Historian/U of R Professor Theodore Brown: Use of scare tactics against progressive causes is not new. He showed examples of campaigns for universal health care dating back to 1912(this all started with Teddy Roosevelt and the Bull Moose Party). A national health care plan was in the works when FDR died and Harry Truman grabbed the baton and ran with it, but just as we see smear campaigns trying to destroy the single-payer initiative today, the private insurer’s propaganda did it’s job well. We can’t allow this to happen again.
(THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE)
When the panelists completed their (5 minute) talks, questions from the audience were entertained. (This will be covered, in more detail, when our video becomes available.) This was an incredible evening and the energy in the auditorium was palpable. But this is only the beginning. This is a campaign which will have to be waged by the citizenry, aggressively and diligently until our objective has been met and no person is left uncovered. Get your pens out (that’s right, ink and paper) and start writing. Tell your representative that you support single-payer. Encourage them to sign onto HR676. Inform them that, not only is it politically feasible, it is a political imperative.
Congresswoman Louise Slaughter’s contact info:
Rochester Office
3120 Federal Building
100 State Street
Rochester, NY 14614
Congressman Chris Lee’s contact info:
Greece Office
1577 West Ridge Road
Greece, NY 14615
Congressman Dan Maffei’s contact info:
Irondequoit Office
1280 Titus Avenue
Rochester, NY 14617
In the end, the THUNDEROUS APPLAUSE will be for you.
Nice job and tip of the hat to Rachel Barnhart at Channel 13 on this nice piece of reporting. Our three local departing Republican Congressional Representatives bumped up their staff payrolls in the last days before leaving office, while Democrat Louise Slaughter’s payroll remained steady.
Tom Reynolds’ staff payroll went from $187,046 in the third quarter of 2008 to $370,159 in the fourth quarter. Mark Maier, his senior policy advisor, earned $15,833.34 in the third quarter, and $40,850.01 in the fourth quarter. Reynolds did not run for reelection.
Randy Kuhl’s payroll increased in the fourth quarter, during which he was defeated by Eric Massa. It went from $185,254 to $224,460.
James Walsh’s payroll similarly increased from $162,063 to $228,497. Aide Martin Voss earned $22,500 in the third quarter and $39,448.74 in the fourth quarter. Walsh did not run for reelection.
Louise Slaughter’s staff expenditures actually went down, from $229,067 to $225,491. It doesn’t look like anyone on her payroll got significant raises or bonuses. Slaughter was reelected.
The Wall Street Journal reports that theses bonuses are common, especially for those leaving office. Thanks for all that high-minded talk about fiscal responsibility. Paging all teabaggers, go find Randy Kuhl and Tom Reynolds!
Congressman Chris Lee will speak in Rochester tomorrow.
The rookie representative is co-sponsoring a bill to block the pay raise members of congress are scheduled to get next year that has gained support on both sides of the aisle.
It’s unclear, as of yet, if there will be the opportunity to have a dialog with him.
At Massa’s town hall yesterday, he made it clear that he would not be accepting the raise which was already approved for this year and that his share would be going to charity-part to his church and part to a local shelter for battered women.
Update: Apologies for my misinterpretation of what was said at the Massa Town Hall. From a press release from Congressman Massa’s office today:
Congressman Eric Massa welcomes additional support for the “Stop the
Congressional Pay Raise Act”
Bipartisan support grows for bill Rep. Massa co-sponsored on his very
first day in office
WASHINGTON, DC- Earlier today, Congressman Eric Massa welcomed the
support of many fellow members of Congress for the “Stop the
Congressional Pay Raise Act.” On January 6th, 2009, the day he was sworn
into office, Congressman Massa announced his co-sponsorship for the
bill.
The Stop the Congressional Pay Raise Act (H.R. 156)
is sponsored
by Rep. Harry Mitchell (D-AZ), and now enjoys the bipartisan
co-sponsorship of 72 members of Congress.
“My very first act as a member of Congress was to support this bill
which will end automatic pay raises for members of Congress,” said
Congressman Eric Massa. “This plan started out as just a concept, but
I’ve worked hard to present this idea to other members of Congress, and
now over 70 of them have joined Congressman Mitchell and me in our
effort to return accountability to Washington. I’m glad that while there
are many disagreements in Congress, many have decided to follow our lead
on this issue.”
“The people of this country have spoken loud and clear, they do not want
members of Congress to get a raise while our unemployment figures keep
climbing. The families of my district want less waste, not more, and I
think giving Congress a raise in the midst of a recession is a waste of
taxpayer money.”
“If we are not able to pass this bill, I have already pledged to donate
any money I receive in this raise to charity.”
Stlo7 wrote about the consequences of elections specifically related to the Employee Free Choice Act:
Co-sponsorship by Slaughter, Maffei and Massa. Excellent.
Chris Lee? Not so much.
For those living in the 29th - remember when Randy Kuhl discussed the Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA) terms of Communism (about 2:13 into the clip)? Recall that Randy once was for the EFCA act until he was against it. That, of course, was back in the day when Randy Kuhl had town hall meetings with constituents.
The new members of Congress are making their choices for what committees they would like to serve on.
The Criminal Law Library Blog has an extensive list of every incoming Representative and what committees they have expressed interest in joining. Here are the New Yorkers on that list:
• Rep.-elect Michael McMahon (D-N.Y) is interested in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
• Rep.-elect Paul Tonko (D-N.Y.) is seeking a seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee with his background as an engineer and experience as chairman of the Energy Committee in the state Assembly. Tonko is also interested in the Education and Labor and the Transportation and Infrastructure committees.
• Rep.-elect Dan Maffei (D-N.Y.) has not expressed an interest in any specific committee yet.
• Rep.-elect Chris Lee (R-N.Y.) would like to serve on the Energy and Commerce, Financial Services and Small Business committees.
• Rep.-elect Eric Massa (D-N.Y.) is interested in the Armed Services Committee, given his experience as a former staffer on the committee. Massa would also like a seat on the Agriculture Committee.
Committee picks are sometimes based on the type of district a member represents. For example, it’s no coincidence that Mike McMahon from Staten Island is interested in Transportation and Infrastructure, and Eric Massa from the Southern Tier wants a seat on the Ag Committee.
Let’s look at the 2004 election results and compare that with what happened last Tuesday:
Kerry won New York by an 18.3% margin over Bush and won 21 counties. Obama won our state by a 25.5% margin, which represents a swing of 7.2% toward the Democratic candidate. So much for the Clinton supporters not supporting Obama. He won 34 counties, 13 more than Kerry won in 2004, and all 13 are in upstate New York. Light blue counties on the map are those that Bush won in 2004 and Obama won in 2008. Kerry won Monroe County by 2.9%, whereas Obama won our home county by 18.4%.
new-york-counties1
Both Senators from New York are Democrats. Four years ago, George Pataki was the the Republican governor.
Of the 29 congressional districts in New York, there are only three Republican congressman remaining. In 2004, 9 Republican congressman were elected from New York. Dems gained three seats in both 2006 and 2008. Again, the light blue signifies a pickup.
ny-house-seats2
The majority in the Assembly has been padded by five new seats, which it a 109 to 41 majority. In two years, Democrats gained at least five seats in the State Senate and won a majority on Tuesday for the first time in decades. One seat in Queens, the 11th district, is holding a recount.
state-senate
So, to recap: Obama won New York and Monroe County by huge double-digit margins, Democrats won the governorship and all statewide offices, including both US Senate seats, added six congressman for a 26 to 3 congressional delegation, gained five assembly members for a 109 to 41 majority, and picked up five new state senators for a 32 to 30 majority. New York is solidly in the progressive corner, and it goes far beyond just New York City.
As you may recall, there was talk a few weeks ago of replacing Jon Powers with Alice Kryzan as the nominee for the Working Families Party. It now appears that that will not happen.
A judge ruled today that Jon Powers must remain on the ballot as the candidate of the Working Families Party in next week’s 26th District congressional election, dealing a major blow to Democrat Alice J. Kryzan’s hope of securing an additional line.
Acting State Supreme Court Justice Kimberly A. O’Connor in Albany ruled that Working Families’ attempt to substitute Kryzan for Powers after Powers moved out of state to Washington did not meet election law requirements.
According to The Buffalo News, people in the Working Families Party are trying to replace Jon Powers’ name on the ballot with Democratic Primary winner Alice Kryzan’s name. This would be a huge boost to her chances, not so much because of the number of votes she would get on the Working Families line, but rather because of the number of votes that Jon Powers would likely receive if he was to remain on the ballot.
Apparently, the move is now possible because Powers has moved out of the state. I can’t find that from any other news source, but if it is true, it is very disappointing. That, combined with his continued inability to just endorse Kryzan, is the kind of thing I would have expected from the Jack Davis campaign. But it seems all too clear now: Powers was in the race mostly for personal ambition and he’s just too bitter about losing to campaign for Alice Kryzan, the only candidate left who shares our values of fairness and equality.
Quoting from The Buffalo News:
James A. Duncan, chairman of the Erie County Working Families Party, said today he expects Kryzan to take over the line because previous candidate Jon Powers has moved out of state. While the State Board of Elections in Albany has not yet received notification from Powers, Duncan said he expects it to arrive soon.
“This certainly is an additional plus for Alice,” he said. “We hope to have this wrapped up by the end of the day.”
He said he expects other Working Families officials in the district and the state party to approve the substitution.
Board of Elections officials said moving out of state is one of only three ways (along with death or election to higher office) in which a congressional candidate can be removed from the ballot.
I can’t figure out what Powers is doing. He doesn’t like the way people voted, so he’s leaving the state? This kind of chicanery should be reserved for Republicans. As a Powers supporter from a different congressional district, this entire post-primary period has been one disappointment after another. It’s just sad.
Today, Survey USA released a poll showing Chris Lee ahead of Alice Kryzan by 48-37 in the 26th congressional district. Jon Powers gets 5% on the WFP line.
A few days ago, a poll commissioned by the DCCC and EMILY’s List showed Kryzan ahead by 10 points.
