Change has been the magic word during this year's presidential campaign, but three local U.S. Congressional candidates also have promised to bring new ideas to the House of Representatives if they are elected.
The candidates, Dan Maffei (D), Dale Sweetland (R and Conservative) and Howie Hawkins (Green Populist), all say they are the candidate who could best serve the 25th U.S. Congressional District, which includes Skaneateles and the northern part of Cayuga County. The winner will replace the retiring Jim Walsh (R), who has served in the House for 20 years.
As a third-party candidate, Hawkins said he was realistic about winning, but believes if enough residents vote for him, that could make the winner change his policies to better represent the people who did not vote for him.
“If I get 7 percent of the vote, I think that will send a very clear message to people representing this district,” Hawkins said. “People shouldn't vote for the other candidate because they are from a mainstream party, they should vote for who they believe in. If they believe in me and enough people believe in me, we can make an impact on government policy and how it is executed by forcing them to listen.”
But Sweetland, a former dairy farmer, said he already is in tune with the people, and believes they wanted a better economy. By bringing in entrepreneurs who will hire local people, Sweetland said he could help bring more money into central New York.
“I work hard to be a good listener and the people who I have met have all told me they are just terrible right now,” Sweetland said. “That reinforces why I am here. Because I am not being supported by the main Republican party, my duty lies with the people I represent. I will not have to answer to anyone else in Washington, only the people in my district.”
With upstate New York suffering from “brain drain,” Maffei said he decided to run so he could create a better state where the nation's younger adults can work.
“I believe being a (U.S.) Representative is not a job title, it's a job description,” Maffei said. “I really felt we needed change as a country and as a government, and I will be a catalyst for that change. Young people were moving out of state because they did not feel the region was economically supportive. They didn't see the opportunities that I see here, and I thought I could make those opportunities a reality.”
Even though he has never held elected office, Maffei said his experience working for other elected representatives as well as his experience working for a TV news station in Syracuse taught him how to change the system from the inside.
After reporting on the economy, mudslides, flooding, crime and education, Maffei said he knows what issues are important to the district's residents.
Maffei also points to his close loss to Walsh in 2006, to show how he's gained strong support.
“I would approach the issues on their own merits and not just go with the flow,” Maffei said. “I think differently and will try different tactics to get things accomplished instead of using the same insufficient and antiquated system. We need to involve more people no matter where their party lines are to get things accomplished.”
Hawkins, who has run and lost races for public office, said he would pride himself on sticking to the platform his voters supported, rather than getting approval from other congressmen.
“I am fearless about speaking out,” Hawkins said. “If I am elected, I will speak out with a smile. It will be my vested responsibility to represent my constituents, even if it puts me in the minority.”
Sweetland, who has 20 years of experience in town and county government, said his priority would be promoting bi-partisan cooperation to fix the current economic situation.
Sweetland's leadership as Onondaga County Legislature chair proved his ability to reach across the aisle. During his first run for chair, the ballots were divided right down party lines, Sweetland said. The second time he was voted in, he had majority support from both parties, he added.
“That goes a long way to show how I really reached to the other side,” Sweetland said. “And that will carry over to how I work if I were elected.”
Sweetland also said that unlike many of Congressmen, he has no ambition to be a career representative, so he would always do what was needed in his district even if it was unpopular with his party.
“In today's government, it is a system of longevity that breeds need for power and seniority,” Sweetland said. “They ignore their constituents' concerns to maintain their statesmanship.”
But Hawkins said his biggest change would be taxes that benefit the majority of his constituents who are working-class employees instead the rich owners of national corporations.
“That's why I am a Green Populist,” Hawkins said. “Fair distribution of wealth and income - now that's good economics.”
Hawkins said he would call for more taxation of wealthy business owners to help the working class achieve a better standard of living.
With ideas for his own projects to help promote green jobs in the region, Maffei said he planned to create jobs that could not be outsourced And with the promise of new jobs, Maffei said he believed he could sway enough voters to win the historically Republican district.
“You always want to leave the district in better shape than it was when you were voted in,” Maffei said. “It's your responsibility to your constituents, no matter what party you are in.”
The issues:
What's your position on the federal government's intervention in the Wall Street financial meltdown?
Hawkins: “It's a bad market strategy to inject capital without any control, and I oppose the government's bailout plan. If we are bailing out these banks, we should take public control over them and monitor them more closely. We should be putting that money into the real economy of labor instead of the paper economy.”
Maffei: “I agree something urgently needed to be done, but I also think we need to be cautious about giving the bucket of water to the kids who were playing with matches and started the fire. We must ensure that banks actually loan out the money ... and we need to figure out if we can help families who are having problems paying their mortgages. Finally I'd like to see more federal money put into infrastructure projects that will create jobs and improve our roads.
Sweetland: “I am afraid that the fox is guarding the hen house because the same people who lobbied Washington to change the legislation that made this problem are the ones telling Washington how to do the bailout. I believe there are some good mortgages out there that people have been paying, and as long as they pay they should stay. We need some liquidity put into the system and we need to renegotiate bad mortgages. That is what companies are supposed to do when you fall behind. We don't want to throw you out of the house when you can still pay.”
How important is it for members of Congress to secure federal earmarks for their home districts?
Hawkins: “If you have a good project, it should be able to get federal funding on its own merits. I believe we should reduce the power of senior members in Congress and promote more revenue sharing and distribution.
Maffei: “There are people who have a negative association with earmarks, but it's important that we don't throw away the good with the bad. We do need more transparency in the system, but they are an important stimulus for economic development. I may not get as many as Walsh did while in office, but I will fight as hard as I can to get them.
Sweetland: “As long as we have the system that we have, it will be important. The system needs to be more transparent and needs based than it is right now. Ideally we would do away with it. It adds to the problem of seniority and party control. Your party should not have to be in control for you to do some good things for your district.”
What direction should the country take to deal with the energy crisis?
Hawkins: “Efficiency is the low hanging fruit. We should not go with clean coal or nuclear power and instead should try to conserve and increase the efficiency of what we do use. I also support building a green economy using solar and wind power and more geothermal energy and other renewable resources that we can build right here in central New York.”
Maffei: “We need to set a goal for ourselves and do it. We can create more jobs right here in upstate New York because we have the tools already. We have advantage of farmland, which can be used to grow bio-fuels from willows, and we are close to several industrial areas, so we don't have to transport our products very far. We also have great universities in the area that have a lot to contribute to the community and the environment.”
Sweetland: “The underlying problem with the energy crisis is the economic crisis. There should be no more tax cuts without corresponding budget cuts. We should do no earmarks for a year, instate a federal hiring freeze, and try influence the basic issues to get the economy under control.”
What should the United States do now in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Hawkins: “We should pull out immediately and rapidly. We should organize a cease-fire and get out because occupying and changing a country's regime is counterproductive. We should promote international cooperation to find terrorist cells and use special forces to eliminate them.
Maffei: “We should immediately, as quickly and as safely as possible, withdraw from Iraq. There is no mission in Iraq anymore. In Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden has not been captured or killed, and until we bring him to justice and destroy al Qaida, there is a mission there. We also need a strong military and make sure we don't over stretch ourselves.”
Sweetland: “I am encouraged that we are getting prepared to pull out of Iraq and turn over responsibility to their government. Afghanistan worries me though. I do not agree that a surge will end that war. It is a mountainous region and it is difficult to conduct ground operations there. Other countries have failed there so we need to be careful. But we need to take the advise of our military leaders, they know best what's needed there.”
The candidates
The Candidates
Name: Howie Hawkins
Age: 55
Job: Unloads trucks for UPS
Family: Single
Education: Four years at Dartmouth College, but no degree.
Offices held: He has run in and lost races for Syracuse mayor in 2005, Syracuse council at large in 2007, New York State comptroller in 2002 and the U.S. Senate 2006.
Name: Dan Maffei
Age: 40
Job: Senior vice president of Pinnacle Capital Management in Syracuse
Family: Wife
Education: Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University and in public policy from Harvard University.
Offices held: He ran and lost his first bid for office against U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh in 2006. He has worked as a press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, he was a policy advisor for Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the ways and means committee and he served as a campaign coordinator for Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll.
Name: Dale Sweetland
Age: 59
Job: Insurance consultant
Family: Married with two children, and one grandson.
Education: Attended SUNY Cobbleskill, but did not graduate.
Offices held: Worked as Fabius town supervisor from 1988 to 1994 and then served 14 years in the Onondaga County Legislature from 1994 to 2007. From 2002 to 2007, he was the chairman of the legislature.
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
As a third-party candidate, Hawkins said he was realistic about winning, but believes if enough residents vote for him, that could make the winner change his policies to better represent the people who did not vote for him.
“If I get 7 percent of the vote, I think that will send a very clear message to people representing this district,” Hawkins said. “People shouldn't vote for the other candidate because they are from a mainstream party, they should vote for who they believe in. If they believe in me and enough people believe in me, we can make an impact on government policy and how it is executed by forcing them to listen.”
But Sweetland, a former dairy farmer, said he already is in tune with the people, and believes they wanted a better economy. By bringing in entrepreneurs who will hire local people, Sweetland said he could help bring more money into central New York.
“I work hard to be a good listener and the people who I have met have all told me they are just terrible right now,” Sweetland said. “That reinforces why I am here. Because I am not being supported by the main Republican party, my duty lies with the people I represent. I will not have to answer to anyone else in Washington, only the people in my district.”
With upstate New York suffering from “brain drain,” Maffei said he decided to run so he could create a better state where the nation's younger adults can work.
“I believe being a (U.S.) Representative is not a job title, it's a job description,” Maffei said. “I really felt we needed change as a country and as a government, and I will be a catalyst for that change. Young people were moving out of state because they did not feel the region was economically supportive. They didn't see the opportunities that I see here, and I thought I could make those opportunities a reality.”
Even though he has never held elected office, Maffei said his experience working for other elected representatives as well as his experience working for a TV news station in Syracuse taught him how to change the system from the inside.
After reporting on the economy, mudslides, flooding, crime and education, Maffei said he knows what issues are important to the district's residents.
Maffei also points to his close loss to Walsh in 2006, to show how he's gained strong support.
“I would approach the issues on their own merits and not just go with the flow,” Maffei said. “I think differently and will try different tactics to get things accomplished instead of using the same insufficient and antiquated system. We need to involve more people no matter where their party lines are to get things accomplished.”
Hawkins, who has run and lost races for public office, said he would pride himself on sticking to the platform his voters supported, rather than getting approval from other congressmen.
“I am fearless about speaking out,” Hawkins said. “If I am elected, I will speak out with a smile. It will be my vested responsibility to represent my constituents, even if it puts me in the minority.”
Sweetland, who has 20 years of experience in town and county government, said his priority would be promoting bi-partisan cooperation to fix the current economic situation.
Sweetland's leadership as Onondaga County Legislature chair proved his ability to reach across the aisle. During his first run for chair, the ballots were divided right down party lines, Sweetland said. The second time he was voted in, he had majority support from both parties, he added.
“That goes a long way to show how I really reached to the other side,” Sweetland said. “And that will carry over to how I work if I were elected.”
Sweetland also said that unlike many of Congressmen, he has no ambition to be a career representative, so he would always do what was needed in his district even if it was unpopular with his party.
“In today's government, it is a system of longevity that breeds need for power and seniority,” Sweetland said. “They ignore their constituents' concerns to maintain their statesmanship.”
But Hawkins said his biggest change would be taxes that benefit the majority of his constituents who are working-class employees instead the rich owners of national corporations.
“That's why I am a Green Populist,” Hawkins said. “Fair distribution of wealth and income - now that's good economics.”
Hawkins said he would call for more taxation of wealthy business owners to help the working class achieve a better standard of living.
With ideas for his own projects to help promote green jobs in the region, Maffei said he planned to create jobs that could not be outsourced And with the promise of new jobs, Maffei said he believed he could sway enough voters to win the historically Republican district.
“You always want to leave the district in better shape than it was when you were voted in,” Maffei said. “It's your responsibility to your constituents, no matter what party you are in.”
The issues:
What's your position on the federal government's intervention in the Wall Street financial meltdown?
Hawkins: “It's a bad market strategy to inject capital without any control, and I oppose the government's bailout plan. If we are bailing out these banks, we should take public control over them and monitor them more closely. We should be putting that money into the real economy of labor instead of the paper economy.”
Maffei: “I agree something urgently needed to be done, but I also think we need to be cautious about giving the bucket of water to the kids who were playing with matches and started the fire. We must ensure that banks actually loan out the money ... and we need to figure out if we can help families who are having problems paying their mortgages. Finally I'd like to see more federal money put into infrastructure projects that will create jobs and improve our roads.
Sweetland: “I am afraid that the fox is guarding the hen house because the same people who lobbied Washington to change the legislation that made this problem are the ones telling Washington how to do the bailout. I believe there are some good mortgages out there that people have been paying, and as long as they pay they should stay. We need some liquidity put into the system and we need to renegotiate bad mortgages. That is what companies are supposed to do when you fall behind. We don't want to throw you out of the house when you can still pay.”
How important is it for members of Congress to secure federal earmarks for their home districts?
Hawkins: “If you have a good project, it should be able to get federal funding on its own merits. I believe we should reduce the power of senior members in Congress and promote more revenue sharing and distribution.
Maffei: “There are people who have a negative association with earmarks, but it's important that we don't throw away the good with the bad. We do need more transparency in the system, but they are an important stimulus for economic development. I may not get as many as Walsh did while in office, but I will fight as hard as I can to get them.
Sweetland: “As long as we have the system that we have, it will be important. The system needs to be more transparent and needs based than it is right now. Ideally we would do away with it. It adds to the problem of seniority and party control. Your party should not have to be in control for you to do some good things for your district.”
What direction should the country take to deal with the energy crisis?
Hawkins: “Efficiency is the low hanging fruit. We should not go with clean coal or nuclear power and instead should try to conserve and increase the efficiency of what we do use. I also support building a green economy using solar and wind power and more geothermal energy and other renewable resources that we can build right here in central New York.”
Maffei: “We need to set a goal for ourselves and do it. We can create more jobs right here in upstate New York because we have the tools already. We have advantage of farmland, which can be used to grow bio-fuels from willows, and we are close to several industrial areas, so we don't have to transport our products very far. We also have great universities in the area that have a lot to contribute to the community and the environment.”
Sweetland: “The underlying problem with the energy crisis is the economic crisis. There should be no more tax cuts without corresponding budget cuts. We should do no earmarks for a year, instate a federal hiring freeze, and try influence the basic issues to get the economy under control.”
What should the United States do now in Iraq and Afghanistan?
Hawkins: “We should pull out immediately and rapidly. We should organize a cease-fire and get out because occupying and changing a country's regime is counterproductive. We should promote international cooperation to find terrorist cells and use special forces to eliminate them.
Maffei: “We should immediately, as quickly and as safely as possible, withdraw from Iraq. There is no mission in Iraq anymore. In Afghanistan, Osama bin Laden has not been captured or killed, and until we bring him to justice and destroy al Qaida, there is a mission there. We also need a strong military and make sure we don't over stretch ourselves.”
Sweetland: “I am encouraged that we are getting prepared to pull out of Iraq and turn over responsibility to their government. Afghanistan worries me though. I do not agree that a surge will end that war. It is a mountainous region and it is difficult to conduct ground operations there. Other countries have failed there so we need to be careful. But we need to take the advise of our military leaders, they know best what's needed there.”
The candidates
The Candidates
Name: Howie Hawkins
Age: 55
Job: Unloads trucks for UPS
Family: Single
Education: Four years at Dartmouth College, but no degree.
Offices held: He has run in and lost races for Syracuse mayor in 2005, Syracuse council at large in 2007, New York State comptroller in 2002 and the U.S. Senate 2006.
Name: Dan Maffei
Age: 40
Job: Senior vice president of Pinnacle Capital Management in Syracuse
Family: Wife
Education: Masters degree in journalism from Columbia University and in public policy from Harvard University.
Offices held: He ran and lost his first bid for office against U.S. Rep. Jim Walsh in 2006. He has worked as a press secretary for former U.S. Sen. Bill Bradley, he was a policy advisor for Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan in the ways and means committee and he served as a campaign coordinator for Syracuse Mayor Matt Driscoll.
Name: Dale Sweetland
Age: 59
Job: Insurance consultant
Family: Married with two children, and one grandson.
Education: Attended SUNY Cobbleskill, but did not graduate.
Offices held: Worked as Fabius town supervisor from 1988 to 1994 and then served 14 years in the Onondaga County Legislature from 1994 to 2007. From 2002 to 2007, he was the chairman of the legislature.
Staff writer Nate Robson can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 248 or nathan.robson@lee.net
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