I will put service to our people first.–John Plumb
We need to focus on policies that put our families first.–Tom Reed
| John Plumb | Tom Reed |
| The biggest issue we face here in the Southern Tier is jobs. | The most important issue in our area is job creation and retention. It’s about creating opportunities through work. |
| I will prioritize our workers right here in the Southern Tier, western New York and the Finger Lakes. | Our area can once again become a manufacturing hub for the nation and world. We can make things here and sell them there. We can bring high-tech jobs and careers of tomorrow to upstate. |
| I will protect the jobs we have by fighting against bad trade deals — like the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) — that have been shipping our jobs overseas for too long. | We’ve had a lot of success in creating jobs so far. I wrote and had signed into law the Revitalize American Manufacturing and Innovation Act, which is already creating jobs here at home. I am determined to keep helping our manufacturers move forward, because manufacturing is more than our past, manufacturing is our future. |
| I will fight tirelessly for our rural communities to receive our fair share of infrastructure and economic investment. I would focus on renewable energy development right here at home, where we already have the land, sun and wind required. | We also worked to bring together Alstom and Amtrak to secure an agreement that will bring hundreds of jobs to our region today. This will be based on technology that has the potential to supply the world’s rail system for years, creating thousands of jobs for decades. This happened because we fought to make sure we got our fair share in the Highway Bill. |
| I will be committed to improving college affordability. Congressman Reed has voted to slash Pell grants, saddling our students with even more loans. I believe our students should have the opportunity to attend college without being crushed by a mountain of debt. Students should be able to refinance their student loans, and be able to pay their loans back as a percentage of their income. That way, they can afford to build a life here after college, helping ensure a strong future for our economy. | I’m also working to make college more affordable. If we require universities with billion-dollar endowments to use a portion of the interest gained off these endowments for scholarships, it would help tens of thousands of students. These endowments are tax free. |
| We must fix our broken tax code. In our proposal, we produce a fair, simple and competitive tax code for the 21st century that has been independently judged to create millions of jobs for all of America. | |
| Government regulations are making it harder and harder for our business to operate. Obamacare is just one example that has caused businesses to cut workers’ hours and, in some cases, cut employees completely. I will continue to fight these heavy regulations on behalf of working families. | |
Tom Reed pretends there is a great difference between his political views and the person he calls “DC John Plumb.” However, at least with respect to jobs, the two have much in common. One difference is that Tom Reed has a record in Congress to defend while John Plumb does not. Another is that John Plumb may be willing to finance solutions to problems while Tom Reed’s record shows he is not. Both men are wrong about jobs–the key to jobs is prosperity which requires effective measures to end widespread poverty. At least in the opinion articles referenced, neither candidate mentions that.
U.S. Navy Reserve Cmdr. John Plumb is a Southern Tier native and fourth-generation Western New Yorker who has served in the military for 22 years. He is the Democratic challenger for Congress in New York’s 23rd district.
Tom Reed, of Corning, represents New York’s 23rd District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
http://www.stargazette.com/story/opinion/2016/09/09/reed-creating-jobs/90131388/
New NY 23rd 
And of course Reed is willing to take the credit for the Alstrom and Amtrak dealings which he voted against and in fact it was Chuck Schumer that saw those deals through to success. Reed however showed up for the announcement and the photo-op, as usual.
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Tom likes to talk about “his” RAMI bill, which grew out of President Obama’s initiative, a fact that he doesn’t acknowledge. The role of Congress was to reduce funding below that requested by the Obama Administration, another fact that Tom ignores.
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Which comes first – jobs or prosperity? The focus on jobs between the two candidates is very different in my opinion. Tom Reed would remove many safety nets that allow people to have an opportunity to find a job. Reed’s “hand up” policies for prosperity are merely take aways. Reed merely scoffs at higher wages ( a truly needed investment by business), and has voted against raising the minimum wage ( especially for women). Prosperity could begin with higher wages for millions of Americans.
John Plumb has outlined his ideas for prosperity by protecting the Southern Tier and Western NY’s share of monies that come from the government to be shared equitably, not given largely to down state demands. Further Plumb has explained that those monies should be used for much needed infrastructure ( that would create jobs!), and local economic growth by entrepreneurs. He also stated that he will work toward keeping jobs that are still here, to stay here.
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I agree–Reed’s approach is trickle-down–tax breaks for business, rescind regulations, job training programs (the carrot), and force people to find work (the stick). In my opinion, prosperity comes first which requires effective measures to end poverty. Reed has addressed that with Speaker Ryan’s vague and controversial (even among Republicans) proposal for a “better way.” Better than what? Even better than nothing is dubious.
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I have to chuckle when Reed promotes the College Endowments plan that deals with colleges and Universities that have at least a billion dollars in their endowment coffers. Cornell University is the only institution of higher education in the NY23rd that fits in the Billion Dollars Endowment Club. Yes, more scholarships will help many families, but there are many, many more families that not be able to benefit—and still will need financial help. The Pell Grants would help the needy students.
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Clearly Reed’s endowment bill is a political bill not intended to become law. Like his defense of property bill, it will briefly keep his name in the news, then fade away.
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Interesting that Reed’s homemade bill to :”condition the eligibility of disabled children aged 16 or 17 for supplemental security income benefits on school attendance ( H.R. 4617). – faded away very quickly, but has since reemerged in bill H.R. 2511.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr2511/details
Rep Tom Reed’s idea of “Improving lives” ( for disabled children) by cutting funding to their parents is… to say the least, deplorable.
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With one cosponsor, we can probably count on H.R. 2511 fading quickly too.
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