AUBURN - Family values were the focus Friday when Michael Arcuri announced he is seeking re-election to Congress.
“It's time to start talking about family values,” Arcuri, D-Utica, said outside city hall in Auburn Friday.
“Not the kind of family values from some Washington bureaucrat or some think tank that play more politically, but rather the kind of family values that matter to the people from upstate New York.”
Arcuri, 48, is seeking re-election to represent New York's 24th Congressional District, which covers parts of 11 New York counties, including Cayuga, Tompkins and Seneca, in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was first elected in 2006, filling a vacant seat after long-time incumbent Sherwood Boehlert, a Republican, retired after serving 12 consecutive two-year terms.
Since taking office, Arcuri said he advocated for measures and initiatives to advance and cultivate family values, from raising the federal minimum wage and voting to give the middle class tax relief to supporting universal health care and stem cell research.
“I believe my work in Congress is not done,” he said. “My pledge to you is to keep fighting, keep working, and go back to Congress to make all of our goals a reality.”
While he casts votes for measures that would affect people nationally, Arcuri hasn't forgotten about the local issues in the region he was elected to represent.
Arcuri said that maintaining the stability of Auburn Memorial Hospital, ensuring that senior citizens receiving social security have easy access to social security representatives and working on the Cayuga land trust application are of the utmost importance.
“We need to ensure that the Bureau of Indian Affairs understands that they can't just take property away from the people here off the tax rolls,” he said. “They need to work with the localities. It's a critical issue to us and something they need to continue to work diligently on.”
Arcuri also envisions an Auburn and Cayuga County that is more energy efficient with methane digesters built in central locations to create clean and renewable energy. He will also strive to have railroads constructed to connect Buffalo to New York City, Syracuse and Binghamton, with connections in Auburn.
Arcuri said he works with an independent voice and in non-partisan ways to better serve the community he represents.
“Being a congressman means working with Republican and Democrats alike at the local and state levels to solve the issues that matter most,” he said. “We haven't solved all the problems; in fact, we have a long way to go. Yet we have solved some but there are many challenges that remain. I'm confident that we are making progress and moving in the right direction.”
But Republican challenger Richard Hanna disagrees with Arcuri, saying in a statement released this week that he is contributing to the “gridlock” in Congress.
“Folks are tired with politicians like Mike Arcuri who go to Washington only to vote almost 98 percent of the time with their party,” the Cooperstown businessman said. “He's become part of the problem.
“While Mike Arcuri offers only the gridlock and partisanship that continue to frustrate voters, my candidacy will focus on providing our community with a truly independent voice that will put taxpayers above partisanship and offer real solutions for the future,” he added.
Arcuri fired back by listing his own track record: he voted for stem cell research; re-authorized the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which gives funds to states in order to provide health insurance to families with children; voted to end the war in Iraq; provided tax cuts for the middle class; increased the amount of student loans and veterans' benefits.
He said he breaks with the Democratic party when it comes to trade, gun control, flag burning and the death penalty.
“The people of central New York are very unique,” he said. “They are moderate. They don't follow with Democrats and Republicans. They have their political parties but they vote for the candidate.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
“Not the kind of family values from some Washington bureaucrat or some think tank that play more politically, but rather the kind of family values that matter to the people from upstate New York.”
Arcuri, 48, is seeking re-election to represent New York's 24th Congressional District, which covers parts of 11 New York counties, including Cayuga, Tompkins and Seneca, in the U.S. House of Representatives. He was first elected in 2006, filling a vacant seat after long-time incumbent Sherwood Boehlert, a Republican, retired after serving 12 consecutive two-year terms.
Since taking office, Arcuri said he advocated for measures and initiatives to advance and cultivate family values, from raising the federal minimum wage and voting to give the middle class tax relief to supporting universal health care and stem cell research.
“I believe my work in Congress is not done,” he said. “My pledge to you is to keep fighting, keep working, and go back to Congress to make all of our goals a reality.”
While he casts votes for measures that would affect people nationally, Arcuri hasn't forgotten about the local issues in the region he was elected to represent.
Arcuri said that maintaining the stability of Auburn Memorial Hospital, ensuring that senior citizens receiving social security have easy access to social security representatives and working on the Cayuga land trust application are of the utmost importance.
“We need to ensure that the Bureau of Indian Affairs understands that they can't just take property away from the people here off the tax rolls,” he said. “They need to work with the localities. It's a critical issue to us and something they need to continue to work diligently on.”
Arcuri also envisions an Auburn and Cayuga County that is more energy efficient with methane digesters built in central locations to create clean and renewable energy. He will also strive to have railroads constructed to connect Buffalo to New York City, Syracuse and Binghamton, with connections in Auburn.
Arcuri said he works with an independent voice and in non-partisan ways to better serve the community he represents.
“Being a congressman means working with Republican and Democrats alike at the local and state levels to solve the issues that matter most,” he said. “We haven't solved all the problems; in fact, we have a long way to go. Yet we have solved some but there are many challenges that remain. I'm confident that we are making progress and moving in the right direction.”
But Republican challenger Richard Hanna disagrees with Arcuri, saying in a statement released this week that he is contributing to the “gridlock” in Congress.
“Folks are tired with politicians like Mike Arcuri who go to Washington only to vote almost 98 percent of the time with their party,” the Cooperstown businessman said. “He's become part of the problem.
“While Mike Arcuri offers only the gridlock and partisanship that continue to frustrate voters, my candidacy will focus on providing our community with a truly independent voice that will put taxpayers above partisanship and offer real solutions for the future,” he added.
Arcuri fired back by listing his own track record: he voted for stem cell research; re-authorized the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which gives funds to states in order to provide health insurance to families with children; voted to end the war in Iraq; provided tax cuts for the middle class; increased the amount of student loans and veterans' benefits.
He said he breaks with the Democratic party when it comes to trade, gun control, flag burning and the death penalty.
“The people of central New York are very unique,” he said. “They are moderate. They don't follow with Democrats and Republicans. They have their political parties but they vote for the candidate.”
Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net
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