FACT CHECK: "Bill Owens: On His Team"
This is a continuing series that checks the claims of television and radio ads in the 23rd Congressional District race.
AD: "Bill Owens: On His Team"
OWNER: National Republican Congressional Committee
TRANSCRIPT: "Nancy Pelosi's at it again. Her team is attacking Dede Scozzafava, but it's a lie. Truth is Dede Scozzafava opposed Gov. Paterson's tax increases, opposed his spending. But Bill Owens? Owens is on Paterson's team. Owens' financial backing helped put the Spitzer-Paterson administration in office. Now Bill Owens wants to help Nancy Pelosi raise your income taxes. Bill Owens in Congress? He'd make the problem worse."
CLAIM: "Nancy Pelosi's at it again. Her team is attacking Dede Scozzafava, but it's a lie."
SOURCE: DCCC press release: "Dede Scozzafava: You Pay Higher Taxes While I Don't Pay My Taxes," Sept. 22.
CONCLUSION: Unclear.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's press release makes two claims:
1) That Republican Dede Scozzafava "voted to raise or extend taxes over 190 times." This appears to be true. (Incidentally, the DCCC ad dropped the "or extend" portion of this claim for its TV ad, which makes the claim false.)
2) That her "family business," Seaway Valley Capital Corp., has close to $200,000 in unpaid state and federal tax liens. Seaway Valley Capital Corp. was created by her brother, Tom. The candidate holds no managerial position with that company, although she held stock in the company until recently.
The press release suggests that Ms. Scozzafava has an obligation to pay the tax liens. I don't see why she would, but I don't have enough knowledge to say definitively one way or another.
I can't prove or disprove this aspect of the press release true or false, so therefore I can't prove or disprove the NRCC's claim that the DCCC is lying through this press release.
CLAIM: "Truth is Dede Scozzafava opposed Governor Paterson's tax increases, opposed his spending."
CONCLUSION: True.
The NRCC actually changes the subject here. The source of the first statement says nothing about her budget vote.
Liz Benjamin of the New York Daily News notes this may be a reaction to the Club for Growth ad, not the DCCC ad that is shown on the screen.
Ms. Scozzafava voted against the 2009-10 state budget, which Gov. Paterson initially proposed and which included some, but not all, of his proposals for tax increases and spending.
CLAIM: "But Bill Owens? Owens is on Paterson's team. Owens' financial backing helped put the Spitzer-Paterson administration in office."
CONCLUSION: It's impossible to prove or disprove.
Bill Owens gave a $250 to Spitzer/Paterson 2006 on Nov. 30, 2005, something I've covered in great detail here. No one can say if that contribution put the Spitzer-Paterson administration into office.
CLAIM: "Now Bill Owens wants to help Nancy Pelosi raise your income taxes."
CONCLUSION: It depends on who you are.
Mr. Owens supports "allowing the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to expire," which would result in an increase in income tax on those who are the beneficiaries of those tax cuts.
The U.S. Census Bureau says 2,728 households, or 1.1 percent of the total households, in the 23rd Congressional District took in more than $200,000 between 2005 and 2007.
So, for the majority of TV viewers, this claim, as sourced, appears to be false.
REACTION TO THE AD
Shripal Shah, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesman: "The NRCC's latest attack is yet another pathetic attempt to distract from Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava's fiscally irresponsible record. Republicans' attempts to re-brand her candidacy as fiscally responsible are failing miserably because Assemblywoman Dede Scozzafava has in fact voted to raise or extend taxes 190 times and secured hundreds of thousands of dollars in earmarks while serving in Albany. Voters are clearly rejecting her campaign and embracing Bill Owens' experience creating jobs, and this attack won't change that.”
