The Fighting 29th

All about New York's 29th Congressional District

Today's Massa press conference talked about the housing crisis, energy and which alter he worships at. Click "read more" to read more.

Randy Kuhl has filed a discharge petition in an attempt to force a vote on HR 5656, a bill which repeals a ban on use of alternative, more polluting sources of energy for government vehicles. Kuhl's petition is part of an effort by Republicans to paint Democrats as “worshiping at the altar of radical environmentalism”, in the words of Minority Leader John Boehner.

The repeal bill, sponsored by Jeb Hensarling [R-TX-5], applies to the recently passed energy bill. It's based on the Air Force's desire to fund research into fuels derived from coal gassification, oil shale and oil sands. However, as Hensarling's own press release admits, it's not even certain that the provision his bill is trying to repeal applies to the military, and it's also not certain that the alternative fuels would be more polluting.

If the Republicans were seriously concerned that the energy bill restricts the military's power to research alternative fuels, they could have worked with Democrats on a clarifying bill. Instead, they wanted to give John Boehner a talking point, and here you have it.

Update: According to this article in the Hill newspaper, the issue raised by section 526 has already been addressed in an amendment to the Defense Appropriation bill that passed last month. The solution was bi-partisan, with Dan Boren (D-OK-2) offering the amendment in the House, and James Inhofe (R-OK) planning to do the same in the Senate. So Kuhl's discharge petition and the Hensarling bill look like a solution in search of a problem, and a way to make some noise.

Eric Massa released his new energy plan at the grand opening of his Corning office yesterday evening.   The plan [pdf] includes a windfall profit tax on oil companies, with the proceeds going to fund American-made hybrid cars; renewable energy through switchgrass ethanol; raising CAFE standards; no drilling in ANWR, and states making the final decision on offshore oil drilling

Massa's plan and office opening were covered by WETM in Elmira and Syracuse's News 10.

Update:  Reader Elmer sends today's Corning Leader page [pdf] with pictures from the grand opening.

Eric Massa released his new energy plan at the grand opening of his Corning office yesterday evening.   The plan [pdf] includes a windfall profit tax on oil companies, with the proceeds going to fund American-made hybrid cars; renewable energy through switchgrass ethanol; raising CAFE standards; no drilling in ANWR, and states making the final decision on offshore oil drilling

Massa's plan and office opening were covered by WETM in Elmira and Syracuse's News 10.

Update:  Reader Elmer sends today's Corning Leader page [pdf] with pictures from the grand opening.

The Olean Times-Herald and the Hornell Evening Tribune both have stories based on yesterday's Massa press conference.

Instead of getting a Kuhl reaction, the Olean paper quotes Republican John Peterson, who represents neighboring PA-5. In an interesting contrast with Randy Kuhl, Peterson is apparently running against everyone this election:

In my home state of Pennsylvania, residential utility shut-offs are up 51 percent because of record high energy prices. Yet, while all this is occurring, President Bush and Speaker Pelosi continue to make it illegal to produce energy offshore on the outer continental shelf.

Kuhl calls Massa's plan to limit oil company profits "socialism" in the Evening Trib.

Today's Massa press conference concentrated on oil, and Randy Kuhl's plan for $2/gallon gas.

Reader Elmer sends a story [pdf] about a new federal grant for the Corning/Elmira airport, which was announced by Randy Kuhl.

Kuhl also makes the Wellsville Daily Reporter story about a state loan to fix the Belfast water system.

It's become a custom for the local Member of Congress to announce every federal grant that hits his district, whether or not his office had anything to do with that grant. But the Wellsville Daily Reporter just established a new standard by quoting Kuhl in a story about a state loan, especially since there's no indication that Kuhl was connected to it in any way.

Reader Elmer sends a link from today's Corning Leader, reporting the vandalism of Eric Massa's vehicle yesterday morning. A window was broken on his minivan, which was parked in front of the Massa family home in Corning.

Rochesterturning first reported this yesterday.

Yesterday, at the Pittsford community celebration ("Positively Pittsford"), in addition to a band that played all 70's hits (they definitely brought the funk, let me tell you), there was a little political activity. About a half-dozen Massa volunteers wearing Massa t-shirts were working the crowd handing out glossy information sheets. A couple of the volunteers also had Massa nominating petitions (along with petitions for every candidate on the Democratic ticket).

Other than a couple of judicial candidates, there was no other political activity at this event. I didn't see a single Kuhl sticker, brochure or t-shirt. This was consistent with the Kuhl non-presence at a similar event nearer to the 2006 election.

WENY has a short story on Randy Kuhl and Maurice Hinchey's [D-NY-22] positions on oil speculation. Kuhl supports the Republican bill that would do a study to determine whether there's been speculation. Hinchey supports a bill that would kick speculators out of the market.

The Albany Project reports that Senator George Winner, who holds Randy Kuhl's old seat in the New York State Senate, will have a serious challenger this cycle. Elmira Mayor John Tonello will apparently be Winner's challenger this Fall. Tonello is in his second term as mayor. Winner won the seat by whopping 19 points in 2004 and ran unopposed in 2006.