Live from the UNYTEA debate
Good evening! The first debate of the 23rd Congressional District is about to get underway. I will be live-blogging the proceedings, so tune in.
Matt Doheny, Watertown, and Doug Hoffman, Saranac Lake, have shared this stage before, participating in a March forum held by the same group organizing tonight's event, the Upstate New York Tea Party.
There's a lot of media here, including Nathan Brown from the Adirondack Daily Enterprise and Tim Scee from Newzjunky and The WBNZ News Blog. They will both be live-blogging this event, so I'll share those links as they become available.
A capacity crowd of 225 people is inside the Westside Ballroom in Plattsburgh and we're now awaiting the candidates. The panelists are Jeremiah Papineau, Denton Publications, Pat Bradley, WAMC and Joe LoTemplio from the Plattsburgh Press Republican.
Mr. Hoffman is the first to introduce himself.
"I'm running for Congress, because like most of you, I am fed up."
The candidate is touting himself as a job creator, an entrepreneur.
"I work every day in solving problems in this district. As your Congressman, I will solve them in Washington."
Mr. Doheny is now up.
"We need to send Bill Owens back to private practice. ... The reality is we're overtaxed, over-regulated and have a terrible growth of government that's going on right now. For the first time in history, moms and dads do not believe things will be better for their children."
The candidate is touting his business acumen and saying he is the only one who can beat Rep. Bill Owens.
"My opponent is a fine man. But last time, he failed. He's not going to be able to do it."
LoTemplio is asking a question about the stimulus package. Assess it. What's worked?
Doheny said he would have voted against it.
"You cannot sustain a $1.4 trillion deficit. ... Our leaders are flat out bankrupting us. It's a flat out mistake. I would have been dead set against it."
"It's been a flat out failure."
"You've got to get government out of the way. ... Keep Bush tax cuts... get rid of the death tax ... ease the regulatory burden. ... The amount of regulation for your small business, farmers is just killing, killing people."
Mr. Hoffman: "I agree with what Matt is saying." "We all know that our school districts revised their budget to come into septembmer. with the budget set, what are they going to do with it? the same with the stimulus last year. i saw a ... that's the summary of the stimulus bills. where are the jobs? i would have been against it last year. ... we need to cut taxes, cut regulations. That's how we're going to grow the district and America."
Bradley is asking about health care reform. What free market programs would ease health care burdens? How would you provide for those in need of health care services if you did repeal?
Hoffman: "I would not eliminate Medicare and Medicaid. It's too vital to America. We need to preserve it. ... Fifty different states with 50 different regulations. That's impeding fair market. ... If you and I try to get insurance in the 23rd district, we're lucky to see four or five companies that will consider us and maybe one that will take us. ... competition across state ... be able to take insurance from job to job."
"There's been plenty of progress made in the last 10 years in nys to provide insurance to the people who can't afford it. That's a great program. ... People are afforded health care through the hospitals if they can't afford it."
Doheny: "I would not eliminate Medicaid and Medicare. the difference is I would cut the fraud. ... if you truly believe in the free market you need to have be able to buy insurance across state lines. ... remove anti-trust exemption from laws. ... visited all hospitals in the district ... cost and keeping and retaining doctors. that as your congressman I'll be doggedly pursuing."
Papineau is asking about key to attracting businesses on this side of the district.
Doheny: You've already set a great great platform for the last decade and a half ... continue great growth around airport. ... have a border that will protect us but will allow the free flow of commerce. ... 300 candian companies that have bases or subsidaries here ... have to have the basic infrastructure ... got to have cell phone coverage and broadband. ... no cell phone coverage on Rt. 3 is a "tragedy waiting to happen" ... You have to give people the opportunity to plug into the 21st century. Cell phone coverage and broadband will allows us to do that."
Hoffman: "Everything that Matt says is true, but I want to point out that Im the only candidate that's created jobs in the 23rd district. ... I know what it takes to make a business successful in this area. ... I know what it takes to create jobs. Everything Matt says is right one: We need to attract more businesses from Canada. We need to get the broadband going. But we need to get government off our backs."
LoTemplio is asking about agriculture.
Hoffman: "Joe, my wife's family ran a farm for over 100 years. they were dairy famrers for 40 to 50 years and they got squeezed out of hte business. ... we need to help our farmers ... we have the chicago commodoity market that can be manipulated. we have supply and demand. we have powdered milk coming in from china ... all that hurts the farmer. when the retail can get a fair price, we need to get the farmers a fair price. i'm a conservative. i believe in the free market system, but i believe in playing fairly. the farmers need a fair price."
Doheny: Farmers say three htings. When it coems to milk prices, everyone is always focused on Class 1. Need transparency. Get weekly updates - why don't we know the price? Regulation is killing them. ... One message that they imprint on me is that they are land rich, but when they pass away they want to get rid of the death tax. ... don't want aribtrary tax imposed on death.
Bradley is asking about Doheny's BUIs and rent evasion. Why should we trust your judgment?
Doheny: I'm embarrassed by that incident. ... The rent was merely a simple mistake. ... I assure you I can pay my rent. ... judge person by total character. ... I want to make sure that have the same opportunities I have to pursue their own American dream. ... if you look at the totality of my record, I think people can trust me.
Hoffman: That's up for the voters to decide. ... Matt you can't learn about the district in seven months. I've been here for almost 40 years. ... I don't have to visit everybody, hear what they say and reiterate it. ... I have employed people. I've started businesses. I've kept my children in this district by starting businesses. ... I'm the only person that can help create jobs here and have done it. ... I'm a community leader.
Papineau ask Hoffman about small rural hospitals. What do you think can be done to help these rural community hospitals survive?
Hoffman: It is very difficult for rural hospitals to survive up here. ... We have to repeal and replace that law (health care). We've (Adirondack hospital, which Doug sits on the board) estimated a $1 million loss for each of the next 10 years. ... We can't afford to have the people in the 23rd district to drive 50 or 100 miles to have emergency care. ... We have to keep these rural hospitals alive.
Doheny: Agree with my opponent's statement. ... The funding issue. You can't have billions cut during the health care act and not have a disproportional effect on our rural hospital. ... We're not going to have our talented, our best and brightest saying I want to live in Lake Placid, Ticonderoga...
LoTemplio asks about federal funding of stem cell research.
Doheny: President Bush in 2001 - 21 lines, continue the research - never had federal dollars going toward embyronic stem cell research. Adult lines have been producing quality lines, quality research, but certainly not through federal funding.
Hoffman: I am the only pro-life candidate. ... Stem cell research has to end. The research has to - adult stem-cells is the way to go. We can't have anything that's going to end life.
Bradley asks Hoffman about national and regional endorsements lacking in his second run. How do you account for loss of funds and endorsements?
Hoffman: Concerned Women of America, Freedom Works, NYS Right of Life, Mike Pence, Tom Cole. A lot of national figures are still behind me. On the fundraising side, I did loan $100,000 last year and $100,000 this year. Nothing is different. ... We've had over 2,000, 2,500 donors. ... I'm from Main Street, not Wall Street. ... I am the people's candidate and won't have any special interest telling me what to do.
Doheny: You've got to stop criticizing people for being successful. ... You're too smart and too successful for that. ... I went out and worked. I got the endorsement of the Republican counties. ... went out day to day, door to door, hamlet to hamlet and talked to them. ... That's why they're supporitng me. I'm the only conservative Republican who can send Bill Owens back here to practice law.
Papineau asks about same-sex marriages
Doheny: Marriage is between a man and a woman. It's been that way for thousands of years and it should remain that way. ... It actually is a state issue. ... It should be dealt with in the legislative body, not the judicial. ... State legislators should be voting against same-sex marriage. ..
Hoffman: I agree with what Matt says. Marriage should be between a man and a woman. ... The fact that I'm running 32 percent in the polls shows people are supporting me. ... My car shows over 40,000 miles on it. ... I have the support of the people of the 23rd district. ... I'm going to defeat Bill Owens in November.
LoTemplio asks about public union contracts. What do you think about unions forgoing raises? Should benefits that Congress gets be revised?
Hoffman: We cannot justify raises. A lot of people are losing their joibs. Congress should not be get a raise in these difficult times ... The unions are the same thing. Both public and private unnions that in te public sector, employees are getting to the point where they are 40 percent overpaid when compared to somebody in the private sector. ... bring them back in line so we help the small businesses. ... Unions on the private side is driving people out of business. ... General Motors, Chrysler could not compete with those unions (from competing companies)
Doheny: Cut congress's pay in half. ... Term limits - whether it's 6, 8, 10 or 12 years, that's fine. ... end "cadillac" health care plans. ... End anti-earmark, no pork pledge. ... Make sure that terrible practice ends.
