| Moderator Robert Ward, after allowing the candidates opening statements and to answer questions on foreign and domestic policy allowed each candidate one minute each to answer one question asked by another candidate
For the record, you could cut through the tension in the room with a knife.
Phil Steck asks Paul Tonko: On a national level, both Barack Obama and the Democratic National Committee have adopted a policy of not taking money from lobbyists and Political Action Committees in order to promote the changed atmosphere in Washington. Mr. Tonko, have you accepted campaign contributions from lobbyists and PACs, and if so, why have you done so?
Paul Tonko answers Phil Steck: "The answer is yes, and I stand for campaign finance reform. I've had my name on as a sponsor for that sort of reform. Our house, our majority, gave it high priority several times over. Until the system is changed, it's a very difficult measure. I stand before you as a candidate who had money coming from South Dakota, filtered through the back door to campaigns against me, to invest against me, in a campaign for Assembly in Upstate New York. Until the system is fixed, you're put at risk and would be precluded from doing good work.
"But let's look at the record: those dollars of which you speak, if they're supposedly taking my opinion at my work. Consumer Protection Act: opposed by the utilities. I pushed it with tremendous desire and devotion itself. Timothy's Law: opposed by the insurance lobby, worked on it for eight years until it was done. The Citing Law, which we tried to improve so that there was (sic) environmental justice and making certain that we did things better than before. The utilities opposed, I would not take their solution."
Tonko went over time and was cut off by the moderator, but continued to finish his thoughts with passion. It was then his turn to ask a question of Mr. Shahinfar.
Paul Tonko to Darius Shahinfar: My question to Darius would be, where are you on charter schools in terms of a concept and if you support them or don't support them, they're there. What would you do from a federal perspective to help improve the economics and impact on property tax there?
Darius Shahinfar's answers Paul Tonko: "Charter schools are...here in Albany we're finding out just how tough charter schools can be to our property tax payers. I don't support charter schools, however, in reality, in New York state, I think the fewer the better. And I think that down in Washington we can do, as I've mentioned many times, is to find a way to fund our public schools. And we can do that with the federal government making lots of money available."
"I was actually speaking with (sic) Senator Shumer, and he has proposed something similar. He has made lots of money available, he's trying to make lots of money available I should say, to account for the problem of property taxes and school talking about that want the federal government to step in and provide money that way. I support a more stronger approach. I think it needs to be federal and state. But easing the burden of property taxes and easing the burden of our schools on the backs of property tax payers is not the way to go. We've don that before for decades. I go door-to-door asking people why do we that, people I don't know, it's just the way it's always been. We gotta change it."
Darius Shahinfar asks Tracey Brooks: I have created an ethics and good government contract. I promise not accept contributions from lobbyists, gifts, travel, meals, not to accept contributions from corporate or political action committees, and always put the interests of Upstate New Yorkers first, to not accept contributions from individuals seeking earmarks, and maintain openess and transparency by posting my schedule on the web. [He hold the pledge in his hand and passes it to Brooks] Tracey, will you sign the pledge?
Tracey Brooks answers Darius Shahinfar: "I haven't accepted campaign contributions from lobbyists. Right now, we're in a...I one hundred percent support campaign finance reform. And let me tell you, I want out of the call room to the doors with the voters. I was the first one up here to sign the campaign pledge, to fight for campaign finance reform. But I did take contributions...I have taken contributions from lobbyists."
She reads from the pledge Darius has handed her: "I will not accept gifts from lobbyists, accept meals from lobbyists, or trips from lobbyists. I don't take corporate political action money, that I'm aware of. I...contributions from individuals seeking earmarks? Nope, but I will tell you something about the individuals...contributing in my campaign. We have the largest number of individuals contributing to my campaign. I think we're hovering just under two-thousand people right now. It's getting very exciting the number of people who've jumped behind the momentum of this campaign. And I want to invite you to join us as well. One of the things that I did at the last campaign forum we had was to ask you, if you are lucky enough to leave here tonight with a candidate that you're willing to support, would you be willing to send that candidate five dollars? Because until we, the voters, take back over our campaigns, we need to get our message out to you and that's mail and TV, that's printing up literature..."
Moderator Robert Ward pointed out that Miss Brooks had gone over time as well, to which she promptly apologized. It was now her turn to pose the final question from one candidate to another. I did not see her sign Darius's contract, but perhaps was too busy making notes.
Tracey Brooks asks Phil Steck: This actually goes to everyone, but I think in particular Phil...If I win, September 9th, will you stand side-by-side with me, shoulder-to-shoulder, and pledge your 100% full support and effort to ensure the 21st Congressional District maintains a Democratic member of Congress?
Phil Steck answers Tracey Brooks: "Well, unlike my colleague over here, who spent her early years in the Republican Party and Independence Party..."
This illicited a rather loud "oooooo" from several members of the audience, and scattered chatter as Steck continued to speak:
"...I have been a life-long Democrat. I've been a Democratic Chairman. I've worked hard to support the candidates of the Democratic Party. There's no reason to assume that this election would be any different. It's been a life-long project for me. We fought for change to overcome the strongest Republican government in this entire Congressional District, and we did so in the Town of Colonie. So, my commitment to opposing Republicans cannot be questioned."
After this exchange, the only one of it's kind to happen throughout the campaign, the final forum continued with a third round of questions relating to energy and envrionmental issues. |
