Here's a photo essay for your perusal of today's rally for Jon Powers in Rochester at the Pipefitters Local 13...
(Images are copyrighted. All rights reserved. Images, top to bottom: Powers t-shirt, Jon Powers, Powers with Greece Democrats, Dan McNally instructing the troops, Dave Garretson with map, Joanne Winslow with Bill Powers and Chris Lovell, Judge Paul Riordan.) I hope to upload video from the event either late tonight or tomorrow.
Rochester: On a drizzly Saturday morning at Rochester's Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 13, nearly 100 volunteers and supporters for Jon Powers came out to rally for the endorsed Democrat and Iraq War veteran in his campaign to represent NY-26 in Congress. Among the supporters were several members of the Greece Democrats, including Chairwoman Jo Meleca-Voigt and candidate for the NY State Assembly 134th District, Dave Garretson. Also in attendance were Judge Paul Riordan, who is running for election to NYS Supreme Court Judge in the 7th Judicial District, Tom Hasman, who is running for Monroe County Clerk, Joanne Winslow, who is running for Supreme Court Judge, Monroe County Legislator Paul Haney, and fellow Iraq War veteran Chris Lovell.
(L to R: Patrick Powers, brother of Jon Powers, Chris Lovell, Iraq War Veteran, and Bill Powers, Jon Powers' father and also a veteran who served in the Army stationed in Germany as an LT. Image Courtesy Michael Parks, all rights reserved.)
Lovell was Powers' roommate while they were stationed in Germany and they served in Iraq at the same time, both Captains in the Army. I asked Lovell why he was here today and he said:
I'm here to support Jon. I'm here because I'm proud to see what he's doing. Coming from a similar background due to our experiences in Iraq, I understand his frustrations. We met in an officer training course and were roommates in Germany. We served five years in uniform together. Jon's a leader who will have an impact.
Lovell also wrote a piece for Powers on the candidate's website, which you can read here. Here are excerpts:
Within the unit, Jon was a highly respected leader. As a platoon leader, Jon's men always took top place in certifications and revered as unit capable of completing any mission...
...Captain Powers completed his military career working directly for the Colonel providing advice, counsel, and pulsing the moral of the troops for which he had a tremendous relationship.
Powers then began the rally after a rousing introduction, thanking his numerous and enthusiastic supporters, and then his Monroe County Field Director, Dan McNally, took the stage to wrap it up. Then the volunteers fanned out all over the area canvassing in the final four days of the Get Out The Vote effort.
Rep. Patrick Murphy (D-PA), the only Iraq War veteran serving in Congress, endorsed Jon Powers today as the primary in the 26th congressional district nears.
Jon Powers, Iraq War Veteran and the endorsed Democratic candidate in New York's 26th congressional district, today received the endorsement of the only Iraq veteran in Congress, Representative Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania.
"Washington is broken and to fix it, we need leaders who are willing to put partisanship aside and fight hard on behalf of American families and that is why I am supporting my friend and fellow Iraq war veteran, Jon Powers for Congress," said Murphy. "Jon is one battle buddy I need with me in Congress so together, we can lead the fight for the changes we need. Jon will put Western New Yorkers first - just as he did when he was in the Army."
Rep. Murphy is an Army Captain who served two deployments after 9/11 - the first to Bosnia in 2002 and the second to Baghdad, Iraq in 2003-2004 as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. For his service, he earned the Bronze Star for service and his unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation. Rep. Murphy was a West Point professor, airborne and air assault qualified and a JAG Corps attorney.
"I'm so honored to have Patrick's support," said Powers. "Patrick has the ability to bring real leadership to national security issues facing our nation. As a fellow Army Captain, I look forward to working with Patrick to bring our troops home safely, securely and soon. Together, we will have the power to really make a difference."
Powers has received a lot of support from the military community. Whether it's Wesley Clark backing him or Rep. Murphy, Powers has proved that with the Iraq War and foreign policy important issues in this election, he has the support needed to win the primary and win the general election.
I just heard this on WBFO and thought you might want to listen to a radio interview Eileen Buckley had with Jon Powers. Apparently, Alice Kryzan did an interview yesterday with them, so I'll try to find that one too.
(This is the final part of TAP's 3-part report on the Democratic primary debate for the Congressional seat in NY-26 between Jon Powers and Alice Kryzan. Jack Davis was a no-show.)
Evan Dawson (moderator): Will you participate in pork barrel spending?
AK: I didn't just fall off a turnip truck. If the system is not reformed we have to make sure we get our fair share. (Kryzan then mentioned the importance of transparency in government.)
Powers seconded the need for transparency and the need to bring back funding for SUNY Geneseo. He referenced the debt movie "I.O.U. U.S.A.", a film about the nation's alarming debt trend, and he also spoke about implementing a pay-go system.
ED: What is your position on gay marriage?
AK: I do not support a federal amendment to [construct] what would define marriage as between a man and a woman. I support rights and benefits to same-sex couples who have joined in union recognized by their state.
AK: Well, I think the drinking age should be 18. The defacto age is 18, as a mother of a 25-year-old young man.
Powers mentioned soldiers who are 18 and serving or who have served in Iraq and then said "I definitely think they deserve a beer." The audience applauded at this comment.
ED: Is healthcare for all Americans a right?
JP: Yes, that's why I pushed for [it]. I move for affordable and accessible healthcare, pass S-CHIP. (Powers then noted the problem with drug companies not being allowed to do bulk negotiations, stating we are so close to Canada, we need more nurses, etc.)
AK: Yes, I believe it is a right. I have signed on to a set of principles called HealthCare-Now! Get healthcare coverage off the backs of our employers.
JP: For the record, I'm not taking any money from pharma. (This was in response to Kryzan's repeated attacks on Powers for having to raise money to compete with the other two millionaires he's facing in the Democratic primary. The audience finally began to boo at Kryzan for the attacks as the debate wore on.)
AK: I agree we (Powers) agree a lot but one thing I disagree on is you cannot go to Washington having taken hundreds of thousands of dollars from PACS and special interests. (But this means only the rich can run for office, so Kryzan didn't help herself with this attack.)
JP: I have the support of UAW and Steel Workers and I'm proud of their support. I'll represent every Western New Yorker. We've gone out and earned the support.
On the topic of Social Security both candidates expressed the importance of protecting it. They disagreed on how to go about this. Kryzan said it was a "complicated" issue and "there are no easy answers" when she alluded to how to pay for it. She said "There are going to have to be hard choices made. We have to look at the taxing system. A more progressive tax system and maybe doing away with the payroll tax altogether."
Powers disagreed and said "I agree hard choices have to be made but taxes aren't the only answer. We have $22 billion unaccounted for. Make government more efficient."
Kryzan then attacked Powers by saying he had "taken money from defense PACs" to which the audience booed her.
JP: We have over 4,000 donors and support of the National Democratic Party.
ED: What about our foreign policy with Russia?
JP: Look at the approach George Bush has had. Bush has looked into Putin's eyes and seen into his soul. Look where it's gotten us. (The audience laughed and cheered.)
AK: We need to look at trade, sanctions, Russia wants to be part of WTO, we need to bring our European allies into this situation, tough diplomacy and trade sanctions.
ED: Who is your favorite Republican?
JP: General John Batiste. I sat down with him today. (He also mentioned Chuck Hagel.) We've had a president who has put party over country. We need to put this country first.
AK: I am the only lifelong Democrat in this race, but I'd say Jack Kemp. He was our Congressman in the 26th years ago. He really had conviction.
JP: Is that why you gave Tom Reynolds money?
AK: I did that as a business [consignment].
ED: Name one of your platform positions that breaks with the common party ideology.
AK: I don't think there's a federal solution to every problem. And a lack of support for small businesses. Democrats need to do more to support small businesses. I was a small business owner.
JP: [I differ in] the concept of taxes, throwing more money at problems. It's about finding efficiencies and a government that works.
(This is the second half of TAP's report. Part one can be read here.)
Rochester: Major General Paul Eaton and Major General John Batiste came to Rochester to support Democratic Congressional candidates Jon Powers in NY-26 and Eric Massa in NY-29 on Tuesday, September 2nd, at Rochester Police's Locust Club on Lexington Avenue. Jon Powers began the discussion. Here is where Part One left off...
JP: We have a sacred bond with our veterans to take care of them...[They are] struggling to fill recruiting numbers. (Here Powers is alluding to the difficulty in recruitment due to the Bush administration's failures to properly provide for our soldiers once they return home.)
EM: It should not be a question about whether we are spending too much...If we wait for this administration to help us, we're all gonna die sitting in these chairs.
At this point Major General John Batiste pointed out the need to hire veterans in jobs specializing in high tech. This is a smart strategy because our military is highly trained and they leave the service with incredible skills.
Batiste also mentioned the local Veterans Outreach Center, a group whose mission is, according to its website, "a collaborative approach to treating the "whole" veteran." One component of VOC is Operation Welcome Home, of which I am a volunteer. I participated in welcoming home dozens upon dozens of returning veterans on one day in Rochester in the spring and was very moved by the experience. A loving welcome back is very beneficial to the well-being of our soldiers and I encourage others to check it out.
JB: We should never enter a war unless we have a plan to win it...I have confidence that these two gentlemen get that.
EM: We today have fewer veterans [in Congress] than we've had in [years]...These are gentlemen we have on our speed dial to consult." (Here Massa is referring to Batiste and Eaton.)
(L to R: Powers, Eaton, Batiste & Massa with fellow veterans in Rochester, NY, 9/02/08.)
JP: This is what we should be doing, having a dialogue. The war effort includes taking care of veterans. Please change the message. It is the men and women who served honorably."
Evan Dawson, the moderator of the debate, asked both Powers and Kryzan their thoughts on taking the military draft off the table.
Powers answered first and noted that less than 1/2 of 1% [in this country] have served. "We just had this conversation this afternoon," said Powers, referring to his endorsement by Major General Paul Eaton in Rochester earlier that day. Powers mentioned his Call To Service and said "until we bring home our troops safely, securely and soon we'll continue to be in this situation."
(Image Courtesy Michael Parks. All rights reserved.)
Kryzan stated she was not in favor of a military draft. "If our national security was threatened, that would be something to consider." She stated that Powers' service plan "is a Washington-centric plan." She went on to say that Western New York has "an abundance of teachers. They almost have to leave the area in order to teach...Are we really helping the 26th district by teaching?"
(I found this remark by Kryzan to be damaging since, first of all, she was at SUNY Geneseo, which has a lot of education majors who obviously are committed to teaching and, second, her comments seemed to devalue the professional value of teachers in the 26th district market. Perhaps if she'd clarified her comments it would have been more apparent what she meant. Does she mean we should discourage students from choosing teaching as a profession if that's what they want to do?)
Powers countered by stating that "A Call To Serve came from a group called Service Nation. It's a critical part of the American fabric. It's getting people out into the community. What I learned through my service is an opportunity to get out, see the world and have real skills that can help here in Western New York."
(This was a good answer by Powers. He not only defended serving one's nation, reminiscent of John F. Kennedy's call to service, but he also rightly noted his real world experience and skills from having served as an Army Captain in Iraq, a very demanding and respectable job. He then tied it into how that real world experience can help Western New York.)
Powers then said something along the lines of "Running for Congress is believing and supporting the people of this district," which I think was meant to convey the notion that Kryzan was not being supportive of students who choose teaching or who choose to see the world and then bring that real world experience back to the Western New York area.
Dawson also asked what the candidates' standards would be in deciding and voting to authorize war.
Kryzan went first and said we should "go back to the standard we had before George Bush." Kryzan also said "a pre-emptive war for any reason should be off the table."
Powers said that "If I was in Congress and a vote like this came to the table, one of the reasons we need more vets in Congress is they ask the right questions. I would not vote if there wasn't a plan in place. I'm in a unique position because of my experience. That's the reason General Eaton and Batiste came out and supported me today. We also have to look at national security reform [to realign the power structure]."
Kryzan then seemed to question the benefits of having veterans in Congress: "I respect your service but there were vets---John McCain, I believe. We've had vets in Congress who have been right and wrong on issues. We need to look at poeple who've had experience over their lifetime." Kryzan then mentioned her experience bringing together "disparate views." She then said she had 35 years of experience and that we could all agree the war was a mistake. She said she is the "only person in this race to sign on to The Responsible Plan To End The War In Iraq." She said we must end our dependence on foreign oil and "focus on our domestic economy." Here her views are in alignment with Powers' views.
Powers then countered with a powerful reply: "On The Responsible Plan To End The War, [Major General] Eaton was one of its authors and he was here endorsing me today."
The Jon Powers campaign came out strong against Jack Davis today and provided several different sources showing Davis and his stance on issues that show up to me not-so much of a Democrat.
In today's Buffalo News, the profile article on Jack Davis is titled, "Davis not your ordinary Democrat," the Powers for Congress campaign goes one step further and suggests it should have been titled, "Davis not a Democrat at all."
"From social security where he wants to raise the retirement age, to agriculture where he wants to bus black people to work in the fields, to global warming which he believes is not man-made and we shouldn't waste money to alleviate, to his anticipated American civil war - Jack Davis is so out of touch with Western New Yorkers that he is the absolute last person we should send to represent us in Congress," said Powers for Congress campaign manager John Gerken. "With his own words, Jack Davis is his own worst enemy."
Davis has refused to show up for two debates in the past week. WBEN host and moderator of the first debate Kevin Hardwick told the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal, "If you're too afraid to go into a debate for fear of saying something stupid, how can we expect you to stand up to the special interests in Washington? If (Davis') handlers don't trust him ... perhaps they ought not run him for office."
Davis' campaign is currently under investigation by the Niagara County District Attorney for petition fraud in Niagara County. It was also widely reported that he was forced to apologize for bribing Independence Party officials in Erie and Monroe Counties which eventually lead to Chairman Rafael Colon's resignation.
"Jack Davis has a lot of reasons not to want to talk about issues," said Gerken. "He's flat out wrong on most of them."
I wouldn't say he's wrong on these issues. I would say he is a Republican on these issues. After all, what other political party would support raising the retirement age for Social Security, support the Bush tax cuts, fight against immigration and coming down hard on illegal immigrants?
The Powers campaign also gave another example of Republican Jack Davis' ignorance:
Jack Davis on global warming:
"I don't think man is making it and I don't think man has the capability and certainly can't afford the cost of trying to control it....The sun is on a heat streak." - Buffalo News, 09/04/08
And how could we forget his "Heritage of our fathers" spiel:
(As promised, TAP's full take on last night's debate at SUNY Geneseo between Democratic candidates Jon Powers and Alice Kryzan.) (Image Courtesy Michael Parks. All rights reserved.)
Geneseo: The debate began with an introduction by Ben DeGeorge, a SUNY Geneseo student who organized the debate. Jon Powers then crossed the stage to shake Alice Kryzan's hand and she complied. Both candidates did well, both were very tough but at the end of the night it was Powers who edged past Kryzan, in my opinion. The following questions were asked by moderator Evan Dawson of WHAM 13:
1) What is your view of government's role in terms of rebuilding homes along the Gulf Coast?
(Dawson prefaced this question by admitting it was coming out of left field. Kryzan was chosen to go first. The pace of the debate was a fairly fast clip, they covered a lot of ground in about an hour and a half, and because I was not allowed to use my camcorder, I had to resort to notebook and pen. Therefore, my notes are truncated and not a complete transcript of the night's event.)
AK: We have to be very careful in terms of meeting needs of citizens with insurance costs. We have to put our best [resources] forward.
JP: What we've seen with this administration is a failure to do [what needs to be done], a failure to develop a plan. We need a government that's efficient.
2) Do big box stores threaten small businesses?
JP: Small businesses are the future of Western New York. I believe in Main Street. We need a balance. The reason big box stores are around are because of the costs.
(Powers then mentioned certain big box stores and their failure to provide benefits to employees. He advocated for helping the mom and pop stores on Main Street in Geneseo.)
AK: I agree with Jon that small businesses are the backbone of this district...I do think we have to look at what is best for the community overall. Health care and the need to take health care costs off the backs of small businesses.
3) What kinds of jobs will keep students here?
AK: The central part of my platform is energy and the environment. I believe in [green collar] jobs.
JP: It's not the job of the government to create jobs but to provide an environment for job creation. We need to begin to synergize these efforts and start to regionalize our economy and sell Western New York as a package.
4) Do you support merit-based pay for teachers?
(This is an interesting question given the high number of SUNY Geneseo students who are education majors intent on becoming teachers.)
JP: Education is crucial. [Our campaign held] roundtables in Batavia and Lockport with teachers recently, discussing lifelong learners. Teachers are a critical resource. We should be paying them more. What we have to do is reform education and No Child Left Behind and focus on higher education. It would be something I'd look at in the future.
AK: The teachers I know are not afraid of a merit-based system. Local, state-based solutions are really more appropriate.
5) Do you support [aggressive] accountability in education?
JP: It's set up to be punitive vs. supportive. If we are going to increase accountability, we need to include the teacher. The measure is one single test. We can divide that up, essays, [etc].
AK: Teachers have one of the most difficult jobs, I think, in our community.
JP: What a Congressman can do and a leader can do is help drive the dialogue. As a Congressman I'd intend to sit down and have education summits.
(At this point Kryzan disagreed with Powers on the need to hold education summits with teachers, saying they already know what to do. I attended both of these teacher roundtables and the teachers were all enthusiastic to share what they'd learned in the classroom and to brainstorm solutions. It was interesting to hear the perspective of so many different educators and it gave me a deeper respect for the knowledge base teachers possess. Powers seems to want to utilize that knowledge resource and Kryzan thinks it's best to act now instead of allowing the dialogue with teachers to continue. I found that to be a weakness in Kryzan's answers for the night.)
Dawson asked many more questions, ranging from loan subsidies, wind energy, corn-based ethanol, drilling in ANWR, and gas prices. On these topics Kryzan and Powers didn't differ as much. One noted difference was Powers' emphasis on alternative forms of transportation, which drew applause from the audience. Kryzan criticized Powers for discussing a transportation bill, stating it would be 2 or 3 years before any good would come of it. Powers countered that Congressman Nadler has a transportation bill coming up. Powers also noted that freight trains take priority over passenger trains and that Nadler is looking into switches for trains.
At this point, Kryzan criticized Powers for mentioning trains to and from Albany, saying that it was typical of a politician. Powers countered by asserting that it's important that our leaders lead by example, which again drew audience applause. It was at this point that Kryzan continued to be negative and Powers continued to focus on the issues, garnering more audience agreement for Powers.
(In looking at my notes from yesterday, I took pages and pages, so I'm breaking this report up into smaller parts. Here is part one.)
Rochester: As promised yesterday, here is TAP's report on yesterday's roundtable discussion on the war in Iraq with Jon Powers (NY-26) and Eric Massa (NY-29) by Major General Eaton and Major General Batiste. The endorsements came during a series of National Security roundtable discussions in Lancaster and Rochester. I was at the Rochester meeting.
Jon Powers began the discussion where about 30 people had gathered, many of them veterans. "You have to separate the war from the warrior," Powers began. "I was in Iraq May 2003-July 2004...We don't want to talk about whether we should have been there. We want to talk about how to bring our troops home safely, securely and soon."
Eric Massa agreed, saying "Enough is enough. If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging the hole."
Major General Paul Eaton stated that his role in the Iraq war was "to go in and rebuild the Iraqi armed forces." Eaton feels that the failure of the Bush Administration to properly plan for this war "set the stage for [his] disappointment and set the stage for [his] support of vets running for office."
Major General John Batiste, a Republican, commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Iraq and left the Army to speak out beginning in April 2006. He and General Eaton were in Iraq at the same time and provided joint Congressional testimony on at least one occasion. Batiste echoed appreciation for freedom of speech and agreed with Eaton that the war planning for Iraq was "a complete failure" and that today "we lack a comprehensive national strategy to decisively deal with Islamic extremism." Batiste went on to say:
"These candidates represent the kind of leadership that we need. I'm a Republican, looking for elected leaders with absolute independence, integrity, and moral courage. I know that both of these candidates have these attributes in spades."
It's interesting to note that one of Eaton's sons was under Batiste's command in Iraq.
Massa then pointed out that "The [Bush] Administration is now using the word 'timetable' and at one point we were called 'unpatriotic' when we said that."
Powers then mentioned the book "Fiasco." He mentioned how those failures "affected us on the ground...From a platoon leader's perspective, I had a significant portion of the city of Baghdad, and still did not know what our mission was. [We were] driving through sewage. We wanted to turn the trash trucks back on (Saddam had shut them down). We submitted proposals to CPA (Coalition Provision Authority) and we kept getting denied. All we were asking for was $40/week to run the trucks. June passes, no money, July, August, September. The sewage is getting deeper, garbage is getting high, and the reason is they were trying to get an American company in for lots more money."
Batiste pointed out that "a successful strategy includes all elements of national power--the military is but one component that should be committed as a last resort. America goes to war to win, but that requires a synchronized strategy and degree of mobilization that to this day does not exist. Our intra-agency process in Washington was broken in 2003 and remains broken today. We continue to violate basic principles of war."
Batiste then touched on the challenges of fighting an insurgency in the context of defeating Islamic extremism. "It is all about changing the attitudes of the people of Iraq, giving them alternatives to the insurgency. To that end, a comprehensive national strategy with sufficient resources and unity of effort are fundamental. We have the best military in the world and a narrow window of opportunity to get it right in Iraq in 2008 and 2009. A real strategy needs to be developed fast that deals with Islamic extremism, with every department in our government as committed as the Department of Defense to our collective success. It is all about leadership."
It had been rumored that crazy Jack Davis was a no show at the debate last night. This is obviously not true as you can see him quite clearly in the photo on the right standing right next to Jon Powers.
Just another vicious rumor spread by Davis' opponents, apparently.
I am posting a few photos now but no video from anyone other than pre-approved sources was allowed, unfortunately. I'll have the write up tomorrow but suffice it to say that this was a very interesting evening with both candidates putting on their A-game. Ultimately, I think Powers connected more with the audience and won the debate because he was more focused on the issues than Kryzan, who strayed off topic to criticize Powers one too many times for the audience's comfort level. Much more to follow tomorrow...
(Images courtesy Michael Parks. All rights reserved.)
NY-26: Jack Davis began airing two new attack ads this week against Jon Powers, Iraq War veteran and the endorsed Democratic candidate in the 26th Congressional District. As I was watching the ads I noticed that Davis' campaign had used my image that I took of Jon Powers this spring without my consent. Furthermore, the second ad used my colleague's image without his consent.
I contacted Joy Langley, Davis' Communications Director, Friday and notified her office that I did not give permission for the use of these images, they are mine and I want the ads taken down immediately or I will seek legal counsel. The person I spoke to asked "Are they copyrighted?" Yes, they are automatically copyrighted.
"Copyright is secured automatically when the work is created, and a work is "created" when it is fixed in a copy or phonorecord for the first time."
This morning I received a message from the creator of the misleading and factually incorrect ads informing me that he is aware of my complaint but that no copyright law in the U.S. has been broken.
I beg to differ.
I am no lawyer but I will be seeking legal counsel in the next few days.
In the interim, here is my complaint:
1) The TV ad using my image of Jon Powers is my original photograph and is automatically copyrighted. I created that image and posted it on the website I blogged for. All rights are reserved.
2) Davis' ad is misleading and not at all correct and therefore my work is being used to help propagate a misleading ad and without my consent.
3) The ad uses my image for a substantial portion of its content, thereby rendering its fair use provision void.
4) The so-called educational content of the erroneous ad is null because it is misleading and not at all correct. Furthermore, Mr. Davis' ad is not non-profit because he stands to profit from the ad.
5) The value of my image, my work product, has been diminished due to the use of it by the Davis campaign. Any value I could have had by publishing this original photo in a book or other media is now depleted because of the over-exposure the Davis campaign has caused with regard to my exclusive image of Jon Powers. The use of my work by Davis has had a deleterious effect upon the market value of my copyrighted image.
6) The image in question was culled illegally from a blog I previously wrote for. At the bottom of that blog is the copyright statement indicating all content is "Rights reserved." The site has a clear "C" with a circle around it indicating it is a copyrighted site and its contents fall under that copyright.
7) I want the ad taken down immediately and insist that no future use of my images be used without my consent.
I am not posting the ads here because I don't want to further spread the misleading and incorrect content of those ads. This is just one more example of a campaign that has shown itself to disregard the rules, whether it is bribery or, in this case, using copyrighted material without consent.
I work very hard covering local campaigns, especially Jon Powers' campaign, and it is my work product that millionaire Jack Davis has used without my consent. If he had the volunteers that Powers' has then he wouldn't have to resort to taking the work product of others without their consent.
Jack Davis is fond of saying that he will be beholden to no one. So true.
Note to Davis: the law still applies to you, no matter how rich you are. How can anyone want to elect someone who has such consistent disregard for the law?
UPDATE: Only $743 away. Let's keep chipping away at this. Any other takers? Can you give $5? $10? $743?
I met Jon Powers last July when he visited Orleans County for the first time. In the past, Orleans County had not been a focus for our Democratic congressional challengers against Tom Reynolds. But Powers wanted to come out to Orleans County. He wanted to see the whole district. After all, if he was going to win he would need all of us.
It was after sitting down with Jon for an interview that I realized what a great candidate he was, especially for someone who was only in the race for a month and was, by all accounts, a political novice. But over the last 13 months of knowing Jon, I know that he has grown as a person and as a candidate. He has listened to citizens in all seven counties of the district, whether they are Republicans, Democrats, liberals, conservatives, farmers, teachers or any other compare/contrast you could make. When Jon talks, you have his undivided attention.
Jon Powers needs your help today. Powers is out with his first television ad that has aired during the Democratic National Convention numerous times and local television stations also. If you haven't seen the ad, here it is:
Almost 10 days, the Powers campaign started a fundraising drive to raise $10,000 in 10 days to help fund the ad and keep it on television. There is an Introducing Jon Powers ActBlue page to allow donors to give and keep this ad on the air.
The goal of $10,000 is in sight. As of this writing, the total given is at $8,707. That means within the next eight and a half hours, we need to raise $1,293. I think we can do this.
You don't need to give hundreds of dollars to help this cause. Think about it: If 100 of us gave $10, that would be $1,000 right there. Now, 100 people is a lot to ask for. But what if some of those gave $25? Or $50? Or what if they really came out strong and gave $100 or more? We can do this and we can do it by midnight tonight.
So watch the ad above or visit the "Introducing Jon Powers" ActBlue page to watch the ad and give your secure contribution today. Being a resident in this district, I know that we have two television markets to appeal to (Buffalo and Rochester) and getting in both markets is of the utmost importance. This is a great way to get Jon more name recognition and to raise awareness about his campaign.
NY-26: As I'm following Jon Powers in my car on this rain-drenched day in the 26th District, passing picturesque red barns and rolling green fields, I am reminded of the importance of agriculture in this community. Hand painted road signs advertising blackberries, honey and sweet corn dot the roads ribboning out in front of us. The occasional "Powers for Congress" sign is a nice touch, almost as if they knew Powers would be traveling through. But the easy-going bucolic scenery belies the economic hardship that affects many folks in upstate New York.
Powers is seeking to address one of the root causes of such hardship: problems with our education system. To that end, Powers hosted a teachers' round table in Lockport Thursday for this purpose at The Daily Grind coffee shop.
The disappointing graduation rate was the first thing one teacher mentioned, noting that the funding is not the problem, the graduation rate is the problem. On the topic of testing, one teacher stated "If you're teaching the material, it doesn't matter if the test is changed or not."
When the topic of high school rankings by magazines such as Newsweek came up, it was noted that the number of students now taking AP courses has drastically risen and some students are being pushed into AP when they are not prepared for it. One teacher said that "By the time they get to high school, they are tested out."
Powers pointed out that the concept of "discovery learning" is dying out and that some are saying there will be no Einsteins in the future because of it. This points to the "teach to the test" ideology running rampant in our schools and threatening to erode love for learning while promoting rote memorization. Thinking outside the box and using one's imagination are key components to innovation and subsequently a robust economy. It's all tied together, education and the economy, and Powers gets that.
Sue Powers, a retired reading teacher and the candidate's mother, pointed out that no one has been tracking success of these various programs adopted by schools. Another teacher agreed and said "No one is polling graduates to see how they're doing." Jon Powers agreed and said "Schools have very little follow up in alumni." A third teacher concurred and asked "How can we say we're creating lifelong learners if we don't know?"
One thing is for certain, Powers has an education plan and he's going all around the 26th District asking our area's teachers what their thoughts are so we can know.
Le Roy, NY: TAP took a road trip yesterday with Jon Powers, Iraq War veteran and the endorsed Democratic candidate in NY-26 to discuss health care and education. First Powers met with approximately twenty senior citizens on Thursday to discuss health care at The Greens, an independent senior living community in the 26th District. After a brief overview of his newly released Healthcare Policy where Powers noted "The reason these solutions are having to come from the bottom up is because we have a failure in Washington," Powers took questions from senior citizens.
Here, a brief synopsis of Powers' Healthcare Policy: providing access to health insurance and making it affordable, passing SCHIP expansion to cover working class families earning 300% of the federal poverty level or approximately $60K/Yr. for a family of 4, creating a healthcare purchasing exchange similar to what members of Congress enjoy, a Medicare Buy-in option, mandatory COBRA to age 65, increasing access to medical facilities and allowing National Guardsmen and Reservists to be eligible for TRICARE.
Powers' plan also calls for lowering the cost of prescription drugs and, because of our proximity to Canada, allowing prescription drug reimportation if the prescriptions are safe and more affordable. Powers also calls for breaking up monopolies and increasing competition, citing the 400 healthcare mergers in the past decade.
Additionally, Powers' plan calls for electronic medical records to save money (and potentially avert health problems in emergencies), aid for small businesses for catastrophic care, phasing out of excessive Medicare overpayments to HMOs, and ensuring premiums are spent on patients.
After listening to seniors' concerns about the high costs of prescriptions and various causes, one woman asked Powers about health insurance companies assessing risk pools like those for auto insurance. Powers' answer was simple and direct: "Take away the incentive for it."
Powers also stated:
"Our solutions aren't going to all come from Washington. We as a community have to start addressing them. As your Congressman, I can help drive that dialogue."
Powers then provided the example of a teacher in a nearby town, Jim Thompson, who saw kids stealing lunches on Fridays and Mondays because they were hungry. Instead of asking for more taxpayer-funded solutions, Thompson went to seniors, churches and community groups to provide backpacks of food for 20 families to take home so long as they return the backpacks each week.
Powers concluded by emphasizing the community approach to solving our problems, helping others to help themselves. Powers referenced the 30% poverty level in Rochester and called it "criminal in New York State" to have such poverty. He linked health care, education and vocational training as solutions to rectifying this problem.
Powers summed up his past year when he said:
"It's not what happens on September 9th and November 4th; it's what we do with it in January. Other candidates want to be a congressman. I'm running to be your representative."
If hard work trekking all over the district counts, and it certainly does, Jon Powers already is the 26th Congressional District's representative.
And with that summation, Powers hit the road and headed an hour away to Lockport to host a teacher's round table...
Part Two of TAP's road trip with Jon Powers to follow later today...
The Powers agriculture policy focuses on helping dairy farmers, assisting farmers with making sure they have the necessary labor needed for working their farms and bio-fuel research.
The Powers Agriculture Policy
* Level the Playing Field for Local Dairy Farms: Jon Powers understands the concerns of Dairy Farmers, he has family in the business. Jon's cousins own Noblehurst farms in Livingston County. New York currently ranks third in the nation in milk production. We have tremendous natural resources which makes the 26th District optimal for milk production including fresh water access and rich soil to grow feed. The 26th District also enjoys strategic geographic placement to supply milk to the populous regions of the east coast and the transportation infrastructure to deliver the product.
Unfortunately, New York farmers have disadvantages specific to New York such as high and recessive taxes. New York dairy producers also must deal with the natural fluctuations in the market that place a strain on family farms during downward cycles. As your Congressman, Jon Powers will sponsor legislation that will take state and regional disadvantages into account to level the playing field. Powers will also support legislation that assists farmers during the downward cycles by helping farmers in the 26th District with counter-cycle aid.
* Promote Western New York's Specialty Crops: New York ranks in the top five in apple and grape production in the United States. Jon Powers understands that we must invest in such a natural treasure in order to sustain our crops. In order to ensure a robust market for our specialty crops, Jon Powers supports increases in school purchase programs. Providing our children with healthy foods will help our farms thrive in addition to improving the health of our children.
Powers believes that we need to invest in research to improve harvesting and handling methods for fruits and vegetables. New York has fantastic resources in the Farm Viability Institute, SUNY Agriculture and Technology, and Cornell University to help research new and innovative ways to perfect production of specialty crops and help improve economic commerce to our wineries and apple orchards.
* Conserve Land through a Conservation Security Program: Jon Powers understands that when dealing with New York farms, conservation must be achieved in a manner that allows for working lands conservation. We must also provide funding to farms that develop initiatives to enhance environmental quality. Innovative farmers should be rewarded for coming up with new ways to conserve resources and enhance on-farm practices no matter where they live. The Conservation Security Program should also be available to all farmers, including specialty crop producers.
* Support Increased Bio-Fuel Research: Jon Powers also believes that the key to our energy independence lies in our ability to harvest renewable fuels, with some of the most promising options come from our own crops. Powers will fight to make funding bio-fuel research, specifically cellulosic ethanol, a priority and believes that the issue is as important to our national security as our environment.
* Provide our Farmers with the Labor they Need to Produce: Currently, the H2A visa does not allow enough guest workers for American farms to adequately function. Jon Powers supports increasing the number of H-2A visas issued each year so that Farmers do not resort to illegal immigrants.
Jon Powers also supports the ZA visa program so that Farmers can keep guest workers for 5 years to allow for the development of institutional knowledge while working the farm.
This is an introduction from today's event kicking of the "Seven Counties in Seven Days" tour of the district and the release of the agriculture policy.
Kevin Hardwick, host of "Hardline with Hardwick" on WBEN in Buffalo, on the air today called out Davis for not willing to debate. One of the debates, at least if you go by what Powers and Kryzan have called for, was supposed to take place on the radio with Hardwick as the host. It appears that two of three candidates (Kryzan and Powers) are willing to appear, but Davis has said nothing.
Why wouldn't Jack want to debate? I can think of a few reasons:
(1) Jack is a three issue candidate. I didn't say it. He did.
(2) Remember when he debated Tom Reynolds in 2006? I hate to say, but Reynolds chewed him up and spit him out.
(3) Jack is not articulate. If he can't talk about what he wants to talk about, it will turn into a stuttering and stammering fest. He wants to talk about free trade and the negatives of free trade, illegal immigrants and his solution to Iraq: "Do it right and do it right now." Not really a solution, but hey, Jack thinks so.
We need at least one debate in NY-26. If Jack Davis isn't willing to debate, it will show voters in the district that if Jack can't buy it with his money, he's not going to touch it.
I call on all candidates in NY-26 to engage in a debate so that the citizens of NY-26 who are Democrats and who will be voting for Davis, Kryzan or Powers on Sept. 9 get to see their options right in front of them.
Jon Powers, Iraq War veteran and the endorsed Democratic candidate for Congress in NY-26, has a very nice post up on Huffington Post today calling for a strategic redeployment of our troops. Powers is the one candidate in NY-26 with firsthand knowledge and expertise in this area because he served 15 months in Iraq. His unique perspective is valuable and an asset for Washington and the 26th District.
Powers said:
While our soldiers continue to serve honorably, we must begin a strategic redeployment and bring them home safely, securely, and soon. This agreement could be the beginning of such a redeployment, if we have representatives in Washington, D.C. committed to bringing our troops home and veterans in Congress who truly understand the intricacies of the military and, specifically, Iraq.
Benjamin Franklin once said; "Words may show a man's wit but actions his meaning." It is quite convenient for the Bush Administration to be drawing up this memorandum, but it will be up to the new Congress and thereby the American people to determine if these words are put into action. Voters need to ask their representative if they will commit to a strategic redeployment of our troops or if they subscribe to John McCain's 100 years strategy.
Powers is right on: actions speak louder than words, and Powers is the only candidate in NY-26 taking action.
