Bill Owens for Congress Office Open in Oswego
Last night, I received a phone call from a polling agency called Voter Consumer Research located in Houston, Texas. The questions concerned the special congressional election to be held this November.
It quickly became apparent that this was not a neutral poll but what is known as a push poll designed to discredit one of the candidates. As an example: "Would I be more likely or less likely to vote for the Democratic candidate if I knew he was a lawyer and he defended tax cheats and medical malpractice. That he would support Nancy Pelosi's liberal agenda and he had never held public office?"
My final answer was, "Your push polling makes me highly unlikely to vote for the Republican candidate."
James D. Norris
There's a debate in Washington, DC about health care and it comes down to this: If the insurance companies win, we lose.
The insurance companies are spending $1.4 million a day to oppose reform because they profit by keeping the system as it is ... by denying claims, raising premiums, co-pays and deductibles at will, making health care decisions instead of our doctors, denying care because of pre-existing conditions. While health insurance CEO's took home $690 million, health insurance premiums have been going up four times faster than wages.
The insurance companies have a total stranglehold over health care. They make record profits. They make the decisions. They put profits before people and do so at our expense. And they're giving millions in campaign contributions to win reforms that will add billions more to their profits and do nothing for the rest of us.
So the question in this debate is who wins - the insurance companies or us? If they win, we lose. That's why hundreds of thousands of Americans across the country are coming together to demand reform. That's why the nation's leading physician, nurse, hospital and senior groups, large businesses and small businesses, and major faith organizations of every denomination all support reform.
I found it very interesting the Oswego County All-Terrain Vehicle Club again choose to endorse a Republican candidate for office (23rd Congressional Candidate) . It does not take much research to find out the club president Mr. Steve Cronk is a very active local Republican Party supporter. In FACT he is the Republican Candidate for Highway Superintendent for the Town of Albion. 
I know, I know: snarks out there will think I'm just spreading the love, polishing my nonpartisan cred.
Oswego County Democratic County Committee Headquarters was broken into two days ago.
Job creation program pays for itself through energy savings and revitalization of economically distressed communities
ALBANY (September 10, 2009)—In a major step toward rebuilding New York’s crippled economy and rescuing the state’s energy consumers, the State Senate today passed 52-8 the Green Jobs/Green NY Act of 2009 (S5888). This landmark legislation will create 14,000 family-sustaining jobs with the goal of retrofitting one million homes, businesses, and not for profits in the next five years, reducing carbon emissions caused by outmoded construction, and saving New Yorkers upwards of $1 billion annually in energy savings.
How it Works:
· The program will be funded with revenue raised by the auction of carbon emission credits through the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. This funding will be used to leverage private and federal investments. The bill allocates $112 million from these auctions to NYSERDA. Auctions of carbon emission credits over the last two years raised $126 million, with an estimated $75 million more expected in the next two auctions this year alone.
· NYSERDA will establish a revolving loan program to provide up to $13,000 per residential customer to retrofit a home, and up to $26,000 to retrofit each qualifying business, and also conduct energy audits, program administration and a credit enhancement for critical private sector capital investments.
· In partnership with the Department of Labor, NYSERDA will also create workforce training programs throughout the state to ensure that the state’s workforce is highly trained and in place to handle mass-scale retrofitting.
· The program will front the cost of the work, enabling property owners to afford energy efficient retrofits. Although property owners will repay the full cost over time, their total energy usage will be reduced by 30-40%, and the loan payment on their energy bill will be less than what they saved, yielding a net saves to the property owner.
· Local contractors, certified to perform the retrofits will be able to expand their crews, creating new and permanent jobs in green construction and additional jobs in local businesses and manufacturing that serve those new workers.
· Loans will be eligible to home and business owners in rural and urban communities throughout the state, from Watertown to Montauk and Buffalo to Albany.
Senator Darrel J. Aubertine (D-Cape Vincent), chair of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee and lead sponsor of the bill said: “This program will create jobs, save consumers on their energy bills and help get our economy back on track. By passing the Green Jobs/Green New York Act today with bipartisan support we have taken an important step toward improving our economy and helping our environment. This bill encourages conservation, helps consumers with the cost of capital improvements to their homes and businesses, and creates jobs in the new economy. It’s a win-win for New York State, especially Upstate New York where a well-trained workforce will be in demand to keep the heat in and energy bills down every winter.”
Senator Thomas Morahan (R-New City) said: "About 40 percent of Rockland County's owner-occupied units were built before 1970, making them big energy users. This program would serve "the missing middle" -- owners who surpass the income ceiling for the Weatherization Assistance Program but cannot afford retrofits on their own. Heating an energy-inefficient home may cost these owners between $ 3,000 and $ 4,000 per year."
Dr. Jim Melius, Administrator of the New York State Laborer’s Tri Funds said: “The Senate passage of the Green Jobs/Green NY legislation is a major accomplishment that will help reduce energy bills for thousands of New Yorkers and improve our environment. At the same time, the legislation will help to provide new jobs and job training for throughout New York State especially in low-income communities hit hardest by the economic recession. We thank the NYS State Senate leadership for making this bill a priority and thank everyone in the Senate who supported this legislation.”
Pasquale Strocchia, Vice President of the Board of Directors for the Building Performance Contractors Association of New York State said: “The passage of the Green Jobs/Green New York legislation is a major victory towards creating a greener economy for the residents of New York. This legislation provides a critical opportunity to achieve several goals simultaneously: development of a viable and effective green-collar workforce, increasing the energy efficiency of existing homes throughout the state and helping to reduce energy costs for residents while also reducing carbon emissions related to climate change.”
The legislation sets up a reliable mechanism for collecting revenue to recoup the costs of retrofitting, including “on-bill recovery” where customers can repay the costs affordably over time. For example:
By removing key barriers to weatherization, including the upfront costs to home and business owners and lack of enough skilled labor to do mass-scale retrofits, the state will finally have a program that can fully and successfully implement a “green” vision by undertaking broader non-energy retrofits such as low-flow water fixtures and green roofs that will reduce global warming
“This program will enable homeowners and businesses to take charge of their energy bills and reduce their costs, all while creating a market for a new and well trained workforce,” Senator Aubertine said. “Energy conservation is a much talked about, but sometimes difficult strategy to implement. Large scale improvements require a significant upfront investment, but under this program, the upfront cost is taken care of and in return, home and business owners will see an immediate savings on their monthly energy bills.”
As a holding company run by her brother lost millions, Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava traded her stock for a debt obligation that will give her preference if the troubled corporation were to file for bankruptcy. According to the latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, members of the Scozzafava family on May 20 exchanged preferred stock in Seaway Valley Capital Corp. for a convertible debenture--or a debt holding that could be converted to common stock--that will pay 12 percent in interest. The chairman, CEO and chief financial officer of SVCC. is Thomas Scozzafava, the assemblywoman's brother.
Assemblywoman Scozzafava has been designated by Republicans as their candidate to replace John McHugh in Congress. She has previously been attacked for her association with the business, which she has consistently downplayed. The move by the Scozzafava family, and by the candidate, to insulate themselves from risks to which regular shareholders continue to be exposed will only make it easier for opponents to paint her as a corporate insider.
There are special interest groups trying to block progress on health care reform by using myths and scare tactics. Like the notion that health care reform would ration your care, hurt Medicare or be a government takeover. Actually, these are false statements.
All of the health care reform plans currently being debated in Congress would ensure that you and your doctor are the ones making decisions about your health. The majority of working Americans will continue to receive their health care through their employer. In addition, health care reform will strengthen Medicare by eliminating billions of dollars in waste while lowering prescription drug prices.
Throughout the debate on how to fix what's broken about our health care system, AARP pledges to help you cut through the noise and find the facts about what health care reform means for you and your family. When we see special interests using scare tactics, we'll make sure you're given the facts so you can make informed decisions about health care reform.
The following are some of the most common myths being spread about health care reform and the facts that prove them wrong – click here to watch a video by AARP on the myths and facts of reform.
Fact: Health care reform will preserve the employer-based health care system, meaning an estimated 200 million Americans will continue to get their coverage through their employers.
Fact: For people buying coverage for themselves, there would be a range of private health plans to choose from. Also, the so-called "public plan" option would seek to give American consumers another choice if they can't find affordable, quality coverage in the private insurance market. The goal of the "public plan" is to give consumers the best value for their money and force greater competition among insurance plans for our business.
Fact: Every proposal that Congress is considering would allow people to choose their own doctors and hospitals.
Bottom Line: Health care reform isn't about a government takeover. It's about guaranteeing all Americans a choice of health care plans they can afford.
Fact: None of the health reform proposals being considered would stand between individuals and their doctors or prevent any American from choosing the best possible care.
Fact: Health care reform will NOT give the government the power to make life or death decisions for anyone regardless of their age. Those decisions will be made by an individual, their doctor and their family.
Fact: Health care reform will help ensure doctors are paid fairly so they will continue to treat Medicare patients.
Bottom Line: Health reform isn't about rationing; it's about giving people the peace of mind of knowing that they will be able to keep their doctors and that they will always have a choice of affordable health plans.
Fact: None of the health care reform proposals being considered by Congress would cut Medicare benefits or increase your out-of-pocket costs for Medicare services.
Fact: Health care reform will lower prescription drug costs for people in the Medicare Part D coverage gap or "doughnut hole" so they can get better afford the drugs they need.
Fact: Health care reform will protect seniors' access to their doctors and reduce the cost of preventive services so patients stay healthier.
Fact: Health care reform will reduce costly, preventable hospital readmissions, saving patients and Medicare money.
Fact: Rather than weaken Medicare, health care reform will strengthen the financial status of the Medicare program.
Bottom Line: For people in Medicare, health care reform is about lowering prescription drug costs for people in the "doughnut hole", keeping the doctor of your choice, improving the quality of care, and eliminating billions in waste that is causing poor care and medical errors.
Fact: The President and Congress have committed to producing legislation that will be paid for so it won't saddle our children and grandchildren with debt.
Fact: If we do nothing to fix health care, families with Medicare or employer-based health coverage will likely see their premiums nearly double again in the next seven years.
Fact: If we do nothing to fix health care, the share of your income spent on health care will nearly double in the next seven years.
Bottom Line: When one in three Americans say someone in their family skipped pills, postponed or cut back on needed medical care due to the cost; when countless bankruptcies are related to medical expenses; when the number of uninsured approaches 50 million; when government spending on health programs rises so rapidly that it jeopardizes other priorities; and when employers struggle to pay for the costs of health care, the fact is, we can't afford not to fix health care.
Fact: Health care reform will NOT give the government the power to make life-and-death decisions for anyone regardless of their age. Those decisions will be made by individuals, their doctor and their family.
Fact: No one, including the government or your insurance company, will be given power to make life-and-death decisions for you.
Bottom Line: Health care reform isn't about putting the government in charge of difficult end of life decisions. It's about giving individuals and families the option to talk with their doctors in advance about difficult choices every family faces when loved ones near the end of their lives.
I noted that Florida's GOP Chair Jim Greer had heard about President Barack Obama's intention to address the schoolchildren of America on the occasion of the start of a new school year, and went quite mental, warning darkly that the address was nothing more than a dastardly inculcation into socialism and a viral spread of liberal propaganda. Naively, I imagined this would be a derangement confined to a few weird nobodies, but, duh, I forgot: everyone is crazy now. So, this matter has thus become a Thing. Let's dispense with the highlights!
Glenn Beck hit this early, in a hurry, announcing that he would be countering Obama's address by airing a "special one-hour broadcast next Tuesday on television on the indoctrination of your children." Naturally, new wacko-target Van Jones figured into Beck's remarks, along with a warning that the "republic is under attack" from a video that encourages kids to do homework and stuff: ....
.... Anyway, that's the state of the world today. If President Obama reminded people tomorrow to brush between meals, thousands of people would allow their teeth to rot right out of their heads, because OMGZ TEH SOCIALISM! The upside to all of this is that after Tuesday, every teacher in the world will know precisely what students are going to need remedial help.
Sen. Charles E. Schumer is asking Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to tap emergency powers to send money directly to dairy farmers struggling to make ends meet because of plummeting milk prices.
Schumer, D-N.Y., just wrapped up a phone call with Vilsack, in which he urged the agriculture secretary to tap funds from the Agriculture Department’s Commodity Credit Corporation to immediately give financial relief to dairy farmers. Under federal law, the agriculture secretary has the authority to use CCC funds to support the prices of agricultural commodities with direct payments to farmers.
Schumer said immediate financial help is sorely needed to keep struggling dairy farmers in business. The industry has been hit hard this year by falling milk prices and high feed costs.
“I have never seen our dairy farmers in more distress,” Schumer said, adding that the pain is being felt “from one end of the state to the other.”
“We’re going to have hundreds of dairy farmers go under in the next three or four months unless there (are) immediate, quick results from Washington,” Schumer said. “We need immediate relief.”
These increases will mean a big difference for New York’s Dairy Farmers. Here is how the increases would break down across the state:
· In the Capital Region, farmers would see an annual increase of $32,827,650
· In Western New York, farmers would see an annual increase of $72,357,000
· In the Rochester Finger Lakes Area, farmers would see an annual increase of $43,400,850
· In Central new York, farmers would see an annual increase of $58,766,700
· In the Southern Tier, farmers would see an annual increase of $41,278,200
· In the Hudson Valley, farmers would see an annual increase of $9,411,750
· In the North Country, farmers would see an annual increase of $72,650,700
