New NY 23rd

Dear Secretary Clinton,

I am a long-time admirer and proud to say so. Without giving away too much personal information, let’s just say that I know a lot about bullying, and I know you know what that means. Only an object of bullying can claim to know it, because the perpetrators are in a muddle of their own feelings of fear and self-loathing, which makes them blind, deaf and numb to the feelings of their victims. Grownup bullies see all this talk about it as whining and excuse-making (aka “political correctness”).

Then there’s you. No “whining,” no “excuse-making.” You drive them crazy!

Your response to decades of bullying by sorry and muddled menaces has been to leap over them and stick the landing: stick to your convictions, live out your values, keep on moving toward the light at the end of the tunnel. You do make it look easy, but millions of us know better. You have championed women, children, families, racial minorities, vulnerable constituencies in our country, and civilian populations yearning for democracy all over the world. There’s no question, you are a hero.

It is apparent to me from watching you and from reading Hard Choices, that you also stick to habits I suspect you learned in college. You carefully gather information from accredited sources, surround yourself with people who know more than you do, and then—the piéce de resistance—you go on listening expeditions. Whether in your travels as Secretary of State, or in campaigning for office, you listen to the voices of the people you would lead. Your leadership, then, is a collaboration on many levels.

I am writing to ask you to listen to my constituency. I live in Western New York. You know New York, every inch, so I don’t have to tell you that this region is economically vulnerable and usually left behind when the rest of the country is in boom. This makes us look very juicy to promoters of new prisons, toxic waste dumps, and now every kind of environmental insult related to hydraulic fracturing.

We are fighting back. It’s a fight I think you might champion, if you had the chance to hear from us directly. Let me recommend one of our local heroes, Dr. Sandra Steingraber, as someone you need to know. Stop almost any day by the gates of the gas storage company Crestwood Midstream (recently shored up by Con Ed), and see some of the 500+ local citizens—veterans, teachers, nurses, musicians, clergy, professors, authors, artists, librarians, union members, doctors, parents and grandparents—who have offered themselves up for arrest to save our beautiful Seneca Lake from contamination and disaster.

I get the role that fracking plays in freeing Eastern European countries from Russian domination, and the role it has played in alleviating our country’s dependence on Mid-Eastern oil. I understand some of the priorities you and President Obama weighed in pushing this technology as a bridge to the renewables of the future.

But the truth is that fracking is a danger to every region it touches, and to the entire world. Industry claims about safety do not stand up to science. Pipelines leak, water supplies are destroyed forever, the earth is shaking, and local communities are torn apart by competing interests. Moreover, widespread methane leaks are a lollapalooza of climate change toxicity, and we are running out of time!

People in sensitive environments like ours are shouting at the top of our lungs: no more sacrifice zones! We may not have the economic power and cultural force of a major city, but we fully understand the value of a natural environment that is serene and ethereal—therefore eminently vital. How can the world maintain its humanity by sacrificing its natural wonders?

Groups like We Are Seneca Lake and Gas Free Seneca and hundreds of extraordinary citizens in our region are taking a stand against bullies, and we need you on our side. Please, if you can, visit Western New York. Come and listen. (My friends and I write songs about this stuff. We’ll sing one for you.)

Lee Marcus

Arkport, NY

A timely article written by Bette Ek; published here with permission.

Probably most people have heard that Tom Reed is now part of a new group of 17 Republicans (and 17 Democrats) who have called for Congress to address the issue of climate change. It remains to be seen how committed he is to effective action. I think it’s appropriate to commend him on the new stance he has taken on the issue, but also to urge him to accept that the issues require strong, vocal, and immediate push back against Trump’s agenda.  So many different points can be brought up, from the fallacy that ramping up the use of fossil fuels is essential to our economy and job creation, to the link between climate change and extreme weather events which seem to be happening on a weekly basis, to the Defense Dept. having described climate change to as an immediate threat to national security and linked it to increased risk of terrorism, to the diminished role of the US in addressing world concerns, to moral issues.

He might also be urged to attend the April 19 event sponsored by People for a Healthy Environment (PHE) and several faith-based groups, which will include a showing and discussion of Leonardo DiCaprio’s documentary “Before the Flood.”

If you haven’t already read it, the March 27 issue of Time magazine has an interesting article entitled  “Why Republicans are embracing climate change.”  The article mentions Tom’s new group.  Whatever your focus, it’s really important that he hears plenty of strong voices, as he did on the issue of health care.

I would encourage as many people as possible to attend one of these gatherings on Saturday, April 1:

• 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.: Tioga Central School, 27 Fifth Ave., Tioga Center
• 11:00 to Noon: Broadway Academy, 1000 Broadway, Southport
• 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.: Tyrone Fire Dept., 3600 State Route 226, Tyrone
• 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.: Avoca High School, 17 Oliver St., Avoca

Bette Ek

Reference Material:

DONALD TRUMP’S MESSAGE TO MY GRANDKIDS AND THE REST OF THE CHILDREN ON THE PLANET:
I don’t give a damn about you and the world you’re inheriting. I know more than all of the world’s scientists, just as I know more than the generals and everyone else on the planet. I alone can deal with the world’s problems.

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Trump’s appointment of fellow climate denier Scott Pruitt to be in charge of the EPA sends a clear in-your-face message, and probably ranks as one of the most dangerous and morally bankrupt actions he has done so far. Here’s a few things to ponder.

-To have as president a man who rejects science and calls climate change a hoax is both terrifying and humiliating. Of the world’s climatologists, 97% agree that climate change is real and is “most likely due to human activities.”
http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/

-The Defense Department has cited climate change as the greatest threat to our national security, stating that “climate change poses an immediate threat to national security, with increased risks from terrorism, infectious disease, global poverty and food shortages.”

-Other countries are deeply concerned that if Trump follows through on his threat to withdraw from the Paris accord, the international commitment to reduce the use of fossil fuels could be jeopardized, and some have even suggested retaliation if the US withdraws.

-The premise that efforts to confront climate change will damage the economy is false. Use of renewable fuels cuts costs for businesses and makes economic sense. An open letter to Trump, Obama, and Congress signed by 365 businesses and major investors urged that the US stay committed to reducing fossil fuel emissions. The letter stated: “Failure to build a low-carbon economy puts American prosperity at risk,” the companies said in a joint letter announced on Wednesday in Marrakesh, Morocco, where global leaders are determining the next steps for the Paris deal. “But the right action now will create jobs and boost U.S. competitiveness.”

-Major US companies are pushing forward on renewable energy. Google just announced its commitment to run on 100% renewable energy by the end of 2017. Other giants, including Walmart and Nike have committed to transition to 100% renewable energy.

https://techcrunch.com/europe/

https://thinkprogress.org/9-massive-us-companies-pledge-to-go-100-renewable-bf39e8bfe9b2#.cfurxva4n

-Renewable energy creates jobs. According to Bloomberg News,”The number of U.S. jobs in solar energy overtook those in oil and natural gas extraction for the first time last year, helping drive a global surge in employment in the clean-energy business as fossil-fuel companies faltered.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/…/clean-energy-jobs-surpass-oil-drilling-for-first-time-in-.

-Other countries are surpassing the US in efforts to create climate change. Ironically, China, the world’s biggest polluter, has become the global leader in renewable energy development.

http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2014/01/the-new-global-leader-in-renewable-energy.html

-Finally, dealing with climate change is increasingly recognized a moral obligation. The Pope has stated this repeatedly. Interfaith groups have banded together to firmly state that “The climate crisis is about the survival of humanity on planet earth, and action must reflect these facts with urgency.

http://interfaithclimate.org/the-statement/

In November, 2017, Tom Reed’s website changed. The revised site is slick and attractive, and there is one important change–the link to “media” (op eds and press releases) is gone. Articles previously filed by title are now filed by a non-descriptive document number. All are now filed under “news.”

Links to Reed’s press releases and op eds on “New NY 23rd” are no longer valid, but the articles may still be found by searching. For example, searching for “taxes” finds many articles including this one from 2012:

https://reed.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=414

The title of this 2012 op ed is “Focus on Spending and Solutions, Not Taxes and Blame”

Over the years Tom’s website has become slicker but less informative. For example, in 2015 a link to Tom’s financial disclosures disappeared. Tom’s facebook page also changed in November–visitor comments are now disallowed.

Tom’s press releases document how his views have evolved over the years. It is good that they can still be found by searching. Searching here on “New NY 23rd” also turns up much interesting reading.

https://newny23rd.com/2015/03/12/has-rep-reed-become-complacent-and-defensive/

https://reed.house.gov

https://reed.house.gov/issues

https://reed.house.gov/news

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President Trump, in an interview in the Wall Street Journal, claims that there are states that are increasing manufacturing jobs (Wisconsin, Iowa, and Colorado). He then said:

“You’re going to need people to work in these massive plants,” Trump said. “I’m going to start explaining to people: When you have an area that just isn’t working like upper New York state, where people are getting very badly hurt, and then you’ll have another area 500 miles away where you can’t get people, I’m going to explain, you can leave. It’s OK. Don’t worry about your house.”

Rick Gallant, one of the five announced Democratic candidates trying to unseat Rep. Reed, quickly responded to the Trump’s comment:

“We’re not abandoning Upstate New York. It’s just not an option. That sort of rhetoric is dangerous and demonstrates just how out of touch with mainstream America our President really is. Instead of tearing down the Southern Tier and Western New York, we’re going to roll up our sleeves and rebuild it. Our congressman’s silence on these remarks speaks volumes.”

Rep. Reed’s silence?

Googling articles about Trump’s moving suggestion in the Buffalo News, Syracuse, and other newspapers   I found that Rep. Chris Collins, Rep. John Katko, Rep. Claudia Tenny and other Upstate Representatives had responded to Trump’s comments. Rep. Reed had not. Checking his Facebook pages and his Twitter account, Rep. Reed has yet to defend his jobs record, nor has he agreed or disagreed with the President’s vision having us migrate west like Steinbeck’s Joad Family did in The Grapes of Wrath.

Even though Gallant responded directly to Trump’s Upstate New York put down, but the other four candidates have spoken earlier about their concerns of the NY23rd job situation:

Eddie Sundquist of Jamestown said that coming back home after college, two years of teaching and law school to practice law said he realized the area “slowly became the land that time forgot.”

“We were promised a lot of different things like the Buffalo Billion trickle down and money at the federal level from our representatives,” he said. “We never received those things. We continue to see people leave and manufacturers and jobs leave. A lot of it made me upset to see that we don’t have a representative to jump into the middle of that and help make this a better place.”–Jamestown Post Standard

Ian Golden, small business owner and another Democratic Congressional Candidate has also talked about jobs:

“My Representative will have occasional photoshoots for media exposure, spins on why tax cuts to the wealthy and deregulation of banks help business in this country, fast tracks for fossil fuel projects with little long-term economic injection, an absence of vision for how to bring living wage jobs back to our communities, connection with the issues that really matter to our farms and vineyards, or the ability to plan for the rapid changes occurring in technology.” –Golden’s website

Candidate Max Della Pia, a retired Air Force Officer from Owego, relate jobs and immigration, and that he:

“understands the necessity for migrant workers to fill vacancies given by local workers. He thinks a program needs to be established to provide that labor pool while also being fair and equitable for the workers as well.”–Ithaca Times

The fifth candidate, John Hertzler, actor and Ulysses Town Councilman, wants to bring manufacturing jobs back from overseas.

“People say the jobs aren’t coming back. In my opinion, that’s B.S. There’s a lot of people that want to do those jobs here in this country and we need to bring them back. It irritates the hell out of me when people give up and sell out. ” Ithaca Times.

I am not certain that President Trump’s view that Wisconsin, Iowa and Colorado really do have the need or desire to have thousands of New Yorkers move into their states and take their jobs. It sounds more like an empty success story that Trump likes to uses to misinform his base supporters.

It is important to respond to Trump’s claims. Fight fake news with facts.

If you will be in Cincinnati, you might want to see this play. Disclaimer–Andrew J. Hungerford is my nephew.

Fury and Focus Fuel Know’s “Girl in the Red Corner”
Review by Liz Eichler

Know Theatre’s ready to rumble!

With the theme “The Fight,” Know Theatre of Cincinnati appropriately opens their 22nd season with “Girl in the Red Corner.” Stephen Spotswood’s drama is the story of a gal fighting her demons, in and out of the octagon.

Tess Talbot shines as Halo, the recently divorced woman, now living with a mom who drinks too much, who regrets never going to college or applying herself in high school. Going from dead-end job to job, she finally gets up the courage to walk into a gym that trains MMA fighters. Because she needs to do it.

Halo is in the “finding your power” stage of her life. She’s not letting people take it from her, and like most women, it’s a struggle. It becomes her mantra as she trains, punctuating each hit as people tell her who to be and what to think.

Her trainer is Gina, arrestingly played by Abigail Esmena Foehle. Her intensity and focus make her a standout and, coupled with her athleticism, you will 100% believe she is a real MMA fighter.

Jennifer Joplin plays multiple roles that demonstrate her amazing range, from an enthusiastic telemarketing trainer, to an MMA competitor, and to Halo’s mom, who can’t quite figure out her cell phone. Mindy Heithaus is Halo’s sister Brinn, and Adam Tran plays Halo’s brother-in-law and the owner of the gym. Together they fight about raising a daughter, whose presence is felt through loud music.

While you may be familiar with similar stories on screen, it is amazing to see the moves up close in a theatre. These gals trained! K Jenny Jones is the Fight Director and the actors delivered. The set and lights (Andrew J. Hungerford) are a convincing padded octagon with arena lighting. Great sound from Doug Borntrager punctuating monologues and more. Costumes (Noelle Wedig-Johnson) are gym attire and authentic gear. Jeremy Pender is their MMA advisor, keeping them real. Director Tamara Winters brings it all together.

The themes are strong. Halo shouts about being sexually harassed on the phone at her telemarketing job, and her brother-in- law, who held the same job, doesn’t believe her. Because it never happened to him, it must not have happened. More fuel behind Halo’s punches.

This play also highlights the difficult position of an aunt. A niece wants to connect with you, but mom wants to control that relationship. So do you keep connecting and being real with the teenager? If you do, that puts you in bad with your sister. If you don’t, you lose trust with your niece. More fuel for Halo’s kicks.

While the play may feel overwritten at times and underwritten at others, the show is worth seeing in an apparent city-wide season of women. Bring your significant other. Lure him/her in with the sports theme—s/he may start to get the other stuff.

“Girl in the Red Corner” runs through August 17. Tickets are available at 513-300-KNOW.

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How strangely will the Tools of a Tyrant pervert the plain Meaning of Words!–Samuel Adams

Opposing war

Before both wars with Germany, Presidents Wilson and Roosevelt waited for attacks to sway public opinion before asking Congress for a declaration of war. Till then, Republicans had demanded neutrality. President Roosevelt branded the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in advance of a declaration of war an infamous “sneak attack.” Today, President Trump threatens a similar attack, and Republicans are largely silent. If the mutually assured destruction doctrine works with more powerful adversaries, China and Russia, why not North Korea? What happened to the GOP?

Working with allies

Since the Second World War at least, our government has put much emphasis on working with allies. The Korean War was ostensibly conducted by the United Nations. President G.H.W.Bush organized a coalition in support of the First Gulf War; President G.W.Bush sought allies, primarily Britain, for the Second Gulf War. Today, President Trump is disdainful of allies, and Republicans are largely silent. What happened to the GOP?

Fiscal conservatism

Formerly Republicans were fiscal conservatives often insisting on a balanced budget. They still may pay lip-service to that idea, but no longer support it. Every subterfuge is used to justify unfunded tax cuts for wealthy individuals and corporations. What happened to the GOP?

This entry was posted in Congress, Economics, Political, President, Trump, War and tagged GOP. Bookmark the permalink.

March 28, 2017-Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Tuesday at the Environmental Protection Agency, which officials said looks to curb the federal government’s enforcement of climate regulations by putting American jobs above addressing climate change. (to finish the article– click here.)

What are you doing on Earth Day, Saturday April 22?

You may want to consider joining the Washington DC’s  March for Science and Earth Day Network Rally and March is Saturday, April 22 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. on the National Mall to “defend the vital public service role science plays in our communities and our world.” Speeches, musical performances, trainings with scientists and a march will be part of the event. Details at marchforscience.com.

If you don’t want to travel to the Big March, try one that’s closer to home:

Rochester—Marchers will gather at Martin Luther King Jr Memorial Park at Manhattan Square at 9:30AM on April 22nd.At 10:30AM, we will begin marching towards the Hyatt Regency.Upon arriving at the Hyatt, you are cordially invited to attend the first Rochester Science Expo. https://www.rocmarchforscience.org/about-us Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ROCMarchForSci/

Syracuse, Saturday April 22—10 -Noon March for Science – CNY is a Satellite March in solidarity with the March for Science in Washington DC and around the country. Hosted by New Feminists for Justice. https://www.facebook.com/events/206376733176216/

For those on the western portion of the NY 23rd, Buffalo (1:00 – 3:30) might be the spot for you to celebrate. The Buffalo March for Science will begin at Soldier’s Circle. We will march on Lincoln Parkway to Delaware Park where a rally and Science Festival will be held. Please contact us if you or your organization would like to have a table / exhibition at the festival. Go to Facebook page for latest updates and a map/directions.The Buffalo March for Science will begin at Soldier’s Circle. We will march on Lincoln Parkway to Delaware Park where a rally and Science Festival will be held. Please contact us if you or your organization would like to have a table / exhibition at the festival.

Other sites for information-You Caring-March for Science Buffalo and Bonfire–Buffalo March for Science.

You can extent your Earth Day experience by joining Ithaca’s Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 29  —Sustainable Tompkins will be hosting this year’s Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 29 from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Please mark your calendar and be sure to join us! This year we are excited to be holding our Earth Day event in conjunction with the national March for Climate, Jobs and Justice with the People’s Climate Movement in Washington DC. The day’s events will kick off with an open space event at 10 a.m. followed by a rally at 11:30 at the Bernie Milton Pavilion on the Commons.  We’ll hear music by Colleen Kattau and Burns & Kristy and speakers on “Policy Matters” to rally for our sister People’s Climate March down to the Space @ Greenstar. There, we will be greeted by speakers focused on “Action Matters,” more music, exhibitors working on local sustainability solutions, food vendors, workshops, and our annual Signs of Sustainability Awards. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1875610586053668/

If you are not in the district on Earth Day, there might be an event near you. Check out this map of the Earth Day Marches around the world!

Also, I found this list of other Marches in Washington, DC thru June 1st (as of now).

Please add any other Earth Day Celebrations in/near the NY23rd in the comments.

“Transportation and infrastructure improvements help build a foundation for long-term business growth and more jobs. I cannot wait to get to work on rebuilding our economy so taxpayers can see a return on their infrastructure investments.” Rep. Tom Reed, January, 20 2011

Rep. Tom Reed has a long history of telling the public that he supports a project or a bill, but when he gets to Washington he votes the other way.

• He told those at a Town Hall Meeting in Phelps, the day after the Paris massacre that he was against putting extra restrictions on Syrian Refugee, the next week he voted to do just that.

Sometimes he votes against funding a project and then he praises it.

• He told the parents and administrators at Happiness House, a preschool for handicap students in Geneva that how important federal funding for them and others schools in their stations AFTER he voted to reduce such funding.

This time it deals with jobs—specifically manufacturing jobs in our district. Alstom in Hornell is the largest passenger rail manufacturing facility in North America. In September 2015, Alstrom  began the steps to receive federal grants to produce the newest generation of passenger trains for Amtrak. Recently, it was announced the process has been completed. They will need 400 new jobs at Alstom, and about 350 other support jobs will be created in the area.

Although Rep. Reed feels compelled to meet with Alstom management and take credit for their successes and jobs, Senator Chuck Schumer has been the leader of this project. Matter-of-fact, Reed “was directly asked not to be present” at the September 2015 announcement by Democratic Sen. Charles Schumer.

Why? Because of Rep. Reed’s anti-Amtrak voting record.

According to John Plumb, and published by WRFALP  (Jamestown Low Power Radio):

Reed’s latest Press Release about Alstom starts with:

Tom Reed joined Senator Chuck Schumer to announce the expected completion of the final step in the federal grant funding process for Alstom in Hornell.

Reed creatively used the word “joined” to give the impression that he worked together with Schumer on this project. They didn’t. Reed tried to justify his votes to cut funding:

“We have to do it on an economic basis and support it where it makes sense, where it doesn’t we’re obviously going to be an opponent to it,” he said.

He also explained to the Hornell Evening Tribute that

“We’ve been involved in this process from the beginning, working with Alstom to make sure they had access to the folks in Washington, D.C.”

I’m assuming that “We” refer to his  Constituent Service office.

There seems to be a disconnection between what he tells us and how he votes. Reed is caught between two sets of stakeholders–

• the NY23rd Stakeholders (constituents)–Reed tries to convince us that his votes are in our best interests. In other words he tells us what he wants us to think.
• the inside DC Beltway Stakeholders–where he votes the way that is most profitable for himself, Republican Party, and the Party’s Donors.

What is  profitable for the Beltway Stakeholders is not always what is in his constituents best interests. Guess which way Reed votes when that conflict occurs!

The following is a Press Release from the John Plumb for Congress campaign team.

Jamestown, NY — Congressman Tom Reed is continuing his record of undermining the safety of New Yorkers. Last year he voted to shut down the Department of Homeland Security and now he is standing strong in his support of letting known suspected terrorist legally buy guns in the United States.

In a statement John Plumb, Candidate for Congress in New York’s 23rd Congressional District, said the following: “It is totally disingenuous for Congressman Tom Reed to claim his priority is the safety of American citizens when he stands so firm in his belief that suspected terrorists should be able to legally buy guns in the United States.

“As an avid hunter, I have no interest taking away the Second Amendment rights of of law-abiding citizens – and this common sense proposal does no such thing. This is about keeping weapons out of the hands of suspected terrorists – something even the NRA agrees should be one piece to a much larger response to fighting our enemies abroad and at home.

“I’ve dedicated my life to protecting our country and keeping us safe, first in the Navy and then in my work at the Pentagon. And today, I continue that commitment as a Commander in the Navy Reserve. I’ve taken an oath to protect and defend our country – but unlike Tom Reed, I will never turn my back on that promise.”

In a recent interview with a local Cattaraugus County newspaper, Rep. Reed again refused to support a plan sponsored by New York Republican Peter King that would close the current loophole that allows suspected terrorists to legally buy guns in the U.S.

In March of 2015, Reed broke with his fellow GOP members in New York State and opposed a spending bill that would have funded the Department of Homeland Security. Then in December of 2015, Reed publicly opposed a Senate proposal that would have kept individuals on watch lists from purchasing weapons.

Amending the apportionment and redistricting process

Right to Clean Air, Clean Water, and a Healthful Environment

Eliminating ten-day advance voter registration requirement

Authorizing no-excuse absentee ballot voting

Increasing the jurisdiction of the New York City Civil Court

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