An Open Letter to My Congressman
October 7, 2009
Dear Congressman Tonko:
When you were an assemblyman you were one of the best. Whenever there was an issue facing the city of Schenectady you always took the lead and spoke out on behalf of those in need.
That’s the kind of Congressman we know you are too. That’s why we’re praying you’ll vote no to all this health care takeover insanity that has everyone so afraid.
Yes we need reform but this is too much too fast. Let’s start with allowing companies to sell across state lines. Or how how about keeping down insanely high hospital costs, ($100 for an Advil?) and frivolous lawsuits.
Thank you for reading this, you and your family are in our prayers.
LarryK12309
Selective Memory
September 14, 2009
We have a selective memory in this country. This is why we need to be reminded of a few things over and over.
Our nation is a republic and not a democracy. The founders knew in a pure democracy a small minority could drive the agenda for the whole nation.
For example despite the fact that most Americans believe in God we have to be careful not to offend the few who don’t. We forget the infamous phrase “Separation of church and state” is not even in the Constitution.
And just because of one isolated Supreme Court case every woman now has the right to kill off her preborn baby anytime she wants. A fact the woman involved in the case now deeply regrets.
So now even though most Americans have access to health care we have to create a giant new monster government program for the few who don’t. All that’s needed are few common sense solutions. These were the papers the Republicans were waving during the president’s lecture last week.
Meanwhile what about in 2005 when it wasn’t one congressman speaking out, it was almost half the chamber booing president Bush? No one said a word about that. Yet another case of selective memory.
A Tale of Two Town Halls
September 9, 2009
It certainly isn’t the best of times but at least it isn’t the worst either.
This is not a tale of two cities. It’s a tale of two congressional districts, near Albany New York, and how Town Halls are run in each of them.
First we have Paul Tonko. (D-NY-21) He preferred to hide during the summer recess and only would do a Town Hall when forced out by the media kicking and screaming.
Then there’s his neighbor to the north Scott Murphy,(D-NY20) who toured his district like a rock star. He even did two town halls on labor day.
Why do these two men take such an opposite strategy when doing their required Town Hall Meetings? I suspect it has more to do with Democrats pulling the strings in Washington than their personalities. After all Paul Tonko can afford to hide in his deep blue “yellow dog” Democratic District. But Scott Murphy may face a very hard rematch in 2010 against Republican challenger Jim Tedisco. So he pounds the pavement during the summer while Tonko can afford to hide.
To make matters worse The Times Union is fawning at Scott Murphy’s every move.
http://archives.timesunion.com/mweb/wmsql.wm.request?oneimage&imageid=8631330
Murphy, D-Glens Falls, said he’d never seen so many signs. His calm demeanor helped keep the crowd from disintegrating into a shouting match. A few couldn’t keep their emotions in check and disrupted Murphy’s analysis of a House bill, H.R. 3200, which attempts to address the problem of more than 40 million uninsured Americans while holding the line on escalating health care costs.
Murphy voiced support for additional options for health insurance. He said he favors a “value-based pricing” model of health care delivery rather than the current “transaction model” that forces physicians to rush patients through an assembly-line system to boost reimbursements. He spoke like the former venture capitalist and small business owner he is.
Oh please, spare us. Perhaps the best thing about this tale is, now that Congress will be back in session, it’s finally over.
*** Tonko Town Hall *** UPDATE
August 27, 2009
Wednesday Aug 26, 2009
Last night’s Town Hall Meeting on Health Care Reform with Congressman Paul Tonko in Delmar was all the buzz on the morning talk shows.
Someone who spoke last night called “Daybreak with Steve and Jackie” on WROW.
He said CODE PINK was there last night accosting everyone who spoke out against the Obama Health plan the second they stepped off the podium.
CODE PINK! Why are these people backing BAMA’s plan on health care? Haven’t they realized he lied to them all back when he promised all the peaceniks he’d end the war? If Obama was lying back then, what makes them believe he’s telling the truth now about his health plan?
What the flaming fruitcake people!
Tonko’s Town Hall
August 26, 2009
Once again it seems like two organizations covering the same event were not in the same building. Capital News Nine had their reality while the Albany Times Union had theirs.
In universe one Capital News Nine said their town hall meeting crowd “was behaved with only a few incidents.”
http://capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/480615/tonko-holds-town-hall-meeting-on-health-care-reform/?RegionCookie=2131
The crowd was split with 60% pro Obama’s plan and 40% against.
Meanwhile the T.U. made it sound like there was pandemonium at their town hall meeting with poor Congressman Tonko barely able to get a word in edgewise.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=835039&TextPage=2
Plus super-kudos to radio station WGY’s Al Roney for getting Congressman Tonko to finally hold a real town hall meeting.
http://www.wgy.com/pages/onair_roney.html?feed=133292&article=5881178












