Richard Hanna has been a businessman for more than 20 years. He decided to run for Congress this year because of a general notion that partisan politics are destroying the country, he said.
“For the first time in the history of this country, people are working harder and longer for less,” Hanna said. “We’ve become a country that spends more than it earns, borrows more than it can pay back, imports more than it exports, and, in short, we are mortgaging our children’s future.”
Hanna is running against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, for a seat in the 24th Congressional district. Arcuri, also the Working Families party candidate, is touting his first two years in federal office a success, and he has criticized his opponent for what Arcuri calls a lack of a plan.
As a successful construction firm owner, Hanna, the Republican, Conservative and Independence party challenger, believes that he can turn things around.
“I know what it takes to make jobs and what it takes to destroy them,” Hanna said.
His experience has helped him develop a sense of how punitive New York state taxes are toward businesses, which is one thing he proposes to change. The state has become an example of how high taxes can ruin an economy and force young people to move and not come back, he said.
Hanna’s top priority is to represent the community and its needs, such as energy independence, he said. Hanna is committed to lowering taxes, as well as lowering insurance and compensation rates for small businesses and will guarantee the stability of Social Security, he said.
“We need to learn to live within our means,” Hanna said. “The current way we live is wrong. We need to be more financially responsible.”
Arcuri has frequently criticized Hanna for not having a concrete plan, but Hanna maintains that his experience as a businessman is more than enough to lead the 24th district.
He also said that Arcuri votes 97 percent with the Democratic Party, whether or not it was the best thing for his district.
“Whatever his plan was, it’s failing. He’s a guy with less than a plan, he’s just a guy waiting for direction,” Hanna said. “I have been a contributor in my community. I’m someone who’s lived among people who are disadvantaged and worked with those people.
As a former Democratic District Attorney in a Republican county (Oneida), Arcuri recognizes the importance of working across party lines to get things done, he said. One of his top priorities is keeping the community safe, and he is committed to giving law enforcement the necessary tools, he said.
“The issues that I dealt with as a DA were not focused on politics but centered on keeping our community safe, and that’s the mindset that I brought to Washington,” Arcuri said.
Arcuri has also worked to create an economic environment that fosters job creation and as a liaison to help localities, like when he testified in Congress against unfair trade deals on behalf of Nucor Steel in Auburn, he said.
“We have the opportunity in upstate New York to develop high-tech jobs and build an alternative energy economy,” Arcuri said. “I sponsored legislation, signed into law, to invest $40 million in economic development to border state counties ��“ including Cayuga ... ��“ to create these kinds of jobs.”
Arcuri believes that Hanna is a businessman with no ideas or strategy, he said.
“I have a proven track record,” Arcuri said. “What will he do to change what’s going on? You can’t vote ’maybe’ on the floor of the House of Representatives.”
Arcuri’s top priority is economic development, which includes providing tax relief, investing in alternative energy and securing funding for development projects, he said.
“Economic growth requires working in partnership at the federal, state, and local level,” Arcuri said. “We must continue to leverage our existing assets like green energy, agriculture, infrastructure, educational institutions and our manufacturing base. ... I will fight for federal money to give local businesses the opportunity to grow and prosper.”
Arcuri has fought to lower gas prices, co-sponsored legislation to invest in alternative energy and voted to help local businesses and families succeed, he said. He voted 22 times to cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses and worked to invest in new jobs and help local businesses expand and succeed, he said.
“I’ve build a track record of fighting for this region and I want to continue serving as your independent voice in Congress,” he said.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
Biographies
Name: Michael Arcuri
Age: 49
Occupation: Congressman, attorney by training
Education: Bachelor’s degree in history from SUNY Albany; New York Law School
Family Status: Married with three children, ages 17, 14 and 10.
Elected office experience: Oneida County District Attorney for 13 years, one term in Congress
Name: Richard Hanna
Age: 57
Occupation: Construction firm owner
Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Reed College
Family Status: Married with one son, age 18 months, and one on the way
Elected office experience: Never held public office
Questions:
1. What is your position on the federal government’s intervention in the Wall Street financial Meltdown?
Arcuri: I supported the rescue plan both times. As New Yorkers, we’re going to be more directly affected because of the income tax structure. ... The second reason is I’m convinced this is not really about Wall Street but rather about Main Street. What we’re feeling the effects of is the tightening of credit. My big concern is I would not want to be sitting around and not act when so much is at stake.
Hanna: I think something had to be done. I’m on record weeks ago saying that we should have bought equity position and preferred stock position for infusion of capital rather than buying these toxic assets. I also thought there wasn’t enough oversight and too much power in one person’s hand. On the other hand, I thought that they should have done more to help the ... homeowners stay in their home. But, I think something did have to be done.
2. How important is it for members of Congress to secure federal earmarks for their home districts?
Arcuri: I think it’s important but we need transparency in the system, like we’ve put in there now. Earmarks can be a good thing if they’re done the right way. It’s infusion of federal money into specific projects that benefit the local community. If you as the taxpayer do not like the project ... then you can not vote for me the next time around. ... We need to make sure that the projects are transparent. If we don’t do it, there’s still going to be earmarks, only they’re going to come from the executive branch and people on the local level are not going to be able to say “Well, we don’t like the project, it shouldn’t have been done.” Transparency is the key to earmarks being palatable.
Hanna: I think that my opponent spent a good deal of time boasting about the money he’s brought the district. Generally, this country cannot afford $18 billion in pork at a time when we have a multi-trillion dollar deficit ... and it should be based on merit. It’s a way to buy votes and it’s also that they typically corrupt the system. In this district, it amounts to $30 to $40 per person. I’m sure people would rather have a better government than have $30 or $40 in their pocket. But, generally I do think the possibility exists to bring things back to the district but the system they have now... the bailout program only passed after they loaded it up with pork, and that’s wrong.
3. What direction should the country take to deal with the energy crisis?
Arcuri: I think we need to have a strategy. I mean, you know, drilling is not a strategy. Drilling is part of an energy independence strategy. One of my criticisms of this administration is that they don’t have a bonafide energy policy. Again, drilling is not an energy policy. We need to address this in the short term, the medium term, and the long term. Short term, one of the things that I advocate is the president releasing some of the strategic petroleum reserve. ... Additionally, we need to drill. ... The middle term solution, alternative energy. Ridership here on Centro, here in Auburn, it’s increasing ... probably as large as any place in New York state. ... We need to get people on buses as much as we can. ... And the long-term is developing alternative energy.
Hanna: I think we should do everything we can including wind, solar, nuclear, deep water drilling, wave, hybrid cars, anything. Everything should be on the table. But I think that in the short run, the Northeast uses about 25 percent of the country’s heating oil and it is a particularly cruel point of view for my opponent to not approve drilling and access to all our resources in order to send markets the notion that we have a plan. And only until political pressure was applied did they talk about additional drilling. That’s the program they have now, it doesn’t offer any more additional drilling. ... In the short-term, my opponent has no plan. My plan is to send certain markets the message that we are going to do everything we can to access our own energy including offshore drilling, and that will lower the prices of fuel.
4. What should the United States do now in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Arcuri: I just came back from Afghanistan and the news was somber. While our troops are doing a magnificent job, I think we have to stay engaged. That’s where the fight started, that’s where the fight continues, that’s where Al-Qaida is. That’s where that Taliban are. I think we need to increase the amount of training of the Afghan Army, of the Afghan police. ... I think this is going to be an American mission. If we want to improve it, we’re going to have to do the vast majority of that. Iraq, I think we need to be out of Iraq in six to nine months. You know, our troops have just been magnificent, they have done everything that we’ve asked of them and more. We need to begin to bring them out over the next six to nine months. We are spending $10 billion a month there and if you think for one minute that that’s not related to our economic woes, I think that person would be mistaken. It is related.
Hanna: I think we need to do everything we can to get out of there as soon as we possibly can. But again, Mr. Arcuri voted in last July to get out in 120 days. Had we done that, we would not be seeing the opportunities we see now. We’re having elections in Iraq in January. ... I think when you talk about Iraq, you have to talk about it in two ways... Should we have gone there? No, I think the war in Iraq is one of the worst foreign policy decisions in the history of the country, but I don’t believe that means we should leave. We need to recognize that there’s 27 million people who we have some responsibility for and the possibility of a civil war between the three sects and it shouldn’t be the case. ... There’s a real possibility of Islamic fascism and we have obligations to Israel.
Hanna is running against Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Arcuri, D-Utica, for a seat in the 24th Congressional district. Arcuri, also the Working Families party candidate, is touting his first two years in federal office a success, and he has criticized his opponent for what Arcuri calls a lack of a plan.
As a successful construction firm owner, Hanna, the Republican, Conservative and Independence party challenger, believes that he can turn things around.
“I know what it takes to make jobs and what it takes to destroy them,” Hanna said.
His experience has helped him develop a sense of how punitive New York state taxes are toward businesses, which is one thing he proposes to change. The state has become an example of how high taxes can ruin an economy and force young people to move and not come back, he said.
Hanna’s top priority is to represent the community and its needs, such as energy independence, he said. Hanna is committed to lowering taxes, as well as lowering insurance and compensation rates for small businesses and will guarantee the stability of Social Security, he said.
“We need to learn to live within our means,” Hanna said. “The current way we live is wrong. We need to be more financially responsible.”
Arcuri has frequently criticized Hanna for not having a concrete plan, but Hanna maintains that his experience as a businessman is more than enough to lead the 24th district.
He also said that Arcuri votes 97 percent with the Democratic Party, whether or not it was the best thing for his district.
“Whatever his plan was, it’s failing. He’s a guy with less than a plan, he’s just a guy waiting for direction,” Hanna said. “I have been a contributor in my community. I’m someone who’s lived among people who are disadvantaged and worked with those people.
As a former Democratic District Attorney in a Republican county (Oneida), Arcuri recognizes the importance of working across party lines to get things done, he said. One of his top priorities is keeping the community safe, and he is committed to giving law enforcement the necessary tools, he said.
“The issues that I dealt with as a DA were not focused on politics but centered on keeping our community safe, and that’s the mindset that I brought to Washington,” Arcuri said.
Arcuri has also worked to create an economic environment that fosters job creation and as a liaison to help localities, like when he testified in Congress against unfair trade deals on behalf of Nucor Steel in Auburn, he said.
“We have the opportunity in upstate New York to develop high-tech jobs and build an alternative energy economy,” Arcuri said. “I sponsored legislation, signed into law, to invest $40 million in economic development to border state counties ��“ including Cayuga ... ��“ to create these kinds of jobs.”
Arcuri believes that Hanna is a businessman with no ideas or strategy, he said.
“I have a proven track record,” Arcuri said. “What will he do to change what’s going on? You can’t vote ’maybe’ on the floor of the House of Representatives.”
Arcuri’s top priority is economic development, which includes providing tax relief, investing in alternative energy and securing funding for development projects, he said.
“Economic growth requires working in partnership at the federal, state, and local level,” Arcuri said. “We must continue to leverage our existing assets like green energy, agriculture, infrastructure, educational institutions and our manufacturing base. ... I will fight for federal money to give local businesses the opportunity to grow and prosper.”
Arcuri has fought to lower gas prices, co-sponsored legislation to invest in alternative energy and voted to help local businesses and families succeed, he said. He voted 22 times to cut taxes for middle-class families and small businesses and worked to invest in new jobs and help local businesses expand and succeed, he said.
“I’ve build a track record of fighting for this region and I want to continue serving as your independent voice in Congress,” he said.
Staff writer Gitana Mirochnik can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 237 or gitana.mirochnik@lee.net
Biographies
Name: Michael Arcuri
Age: 49
Occupation: Congressman, attorney by training
Education: Bachelor’s degree in history from SUNY Albany; New York Law School
Family Status: Married with three children, ages 17, 14 and 10.
Elected office experience: Oneida County District Attorney for 13 years, one term in Congress
Name: Richard Hanna
Age: 57
Occupation: Construction firm owner
Education: Bachelor’s degree in economics from Reed College
Family Status: Married with one son, age 18 months, and one on the way
Elected office experience: Never held public office
Questions:
1. What is your position on the federal government’s intervention in the Wall Street financial Meltdown?
Arcuri: I supported the rescue plan both times. As New Yorkers, we’re going to be more directly affected because of the income tax structure. ... The second reason is I’m convinced this is not really about Wall Street but rather about Main Street. What we’re feeling the effects of is the tightening of credit. My big concern is I would not want to be sitting around and not act when so much is at stake.
Hanna: I think something had to be done. I’m on record weeks ago saying that we should have bought equity position and preferred stock position for infusion of capital rather than buying these toxic assets. I also thought there wasn’t enough oversight and too much power in one person’s hand. On the other hand, I thought that they should have done more to help the ... homeowners stay in their home. But, I think something did have to be done.
2. How important is it for members of Congress to secure federal earmarks for their home districts?
Arcuri: I think it’s important but we need transparency in the system, like we’ve put in there now. Earmarks can be a good thing if they’re done the right way. It’s infusion of federal money into specific projects that benefit the local community. If you as the taxpayer do not like the project ... then you can not vote for me the next time around. ... We need to make sure that the projects are transparent. If we don’t do it, there’s still going to be earmarks, only they’re going to come from the executive branch and people on the local level are not going to be able to say “Well, we don’t like the project, it shouldn’t have been done.” Transparency is the key to earmarks being palatable.
Hanna: I think that my opponent spent a good deal of time boasting about the money he’s brought the district. Generally, this country cannot afford $18 billion in pork at a time when we have a multi-trillion dollar deficit ... and it should be based on merit. It’s a way to buy votes and it’s also that they typically corrupt the system. In this district, it amounts to $30 to $40 per person. I’m sure people would rather have a better government than have $30 or $40 in their pocket. But, generally I do think the possibility exists to bring things back to the district but the system they have now... the bailout program only passed after they loaded it up with pork, and that’s wrong.
3. What direction should the country take to deal with the energy crisis?
Arcuri: I think we need to have a strategy. I mean, you know, drilling is not a strategy. Drilling is part of an energy independence strategy. One of my criticisms of this administration is that they don’t have a bonafide energy policy. Again, drilling is not an energy policy. We need to address this in the short term, the medium term, and the long term. Short term, one of the things that I advocate is the president releasing some of the strategic petroleum reserve. ... Additionally, we need to drill. ... The middle term solution, alternative energy. Ridership here on Centro, here in Auburn, it’s increasing ... probably as large as any place in New York state. ... We need to get people on buses as much as we can. ... And the long-term is developing alternative energy.
Hanna: I think we should do everything we can including wind, solar, nuclear, deep water drilling, wave, hybrid cars, anything. Everything should be on the table. But I think that in the short run, the Northeast uses about 25 percent of the country’s heating oil and it is a particularly cruel point of view for my opponent to not approve drilling and access to all our resources in order to send markets the notion that we have a plan. And only until political pressure was applied did they talk about additional drilling. That’s the program they have now, it doesn’t offer any more additional drilling. ... In the short-term, my opponent has no plan. My plan is to send certain markets the message that we are going to do everything we can to access our own energy including offshore drilling, and that will lower the prices of fuel.
4. What should the United States do now in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Arcuri: I just came back from Afghanistan and the news was somber. While our troops are doing a magnificent job, I think we have to stay engaged. That’s where the fight started, that’s where the fight continues, that’s where Al-Qaida is. That’s where that Taliban are. I think we need to increase the amount of training of the Afghan Army, of the Afghan police. ... I think this is going to be an American mission. If we want to improve it, we’re going to have to do the vast majority of that. Iraq, I think we need to be out of Iraq in six to nine months. You know, our troops have just been magnificent, they have done everything that we’ve asked of them and more. We need to begin to bring them out over the next six to nine months. We are spending $10 billion a month there and if you think for one minute that that’s not related to our economic woes, I think that person would be mistaken. It is related.
Hanna: I think we need to do everything we can to get out of there as soon as we possibly can. But again, Mr. Arcuri voted in last July to get out in 120 days. Had we done that, we would not be seeing the opportunities we see now. We’re having elections in Iraq in January. ... I think when you talk about Iraq, you have to talk about it in two ways... Should we have gone there? No, I think the war in Iraq is one of the worst foreign policy decisions in the history of the country, but I don’t believe that means we should leave. We need to recognize that there’s 27 million people who we have some responsibility for and the possibility of a civil war between the three sects and it shouldn’t be the case. ... There’s a real possibility of Islamic fascism and we have obligations to Israel.
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