I was pleased to participate in Dr. Coleman’s political pundit night on 9/12/18 to answer the question: Is Tom Reed a success or failure? Naturally, I answered that Tom is a success. In a state absent conservative governing principles, Tom Reed is a breath of fresh air. But the heavily progressive audience did not agree. Most listened politely to my remarks. I’m guessing they totally disagreed with me, which is fine. Some, however shouted, laughed and were rude. We expect such behavior from some on the left. It’s right from their playbook: when you have no argument, mock and harass. We don’t let their childish tactics deter us. My brief speech follows. Please note that the text below is mostly in the form I used to deliver the speech. The next pundit night is in late October to discuss President Trump and the midterm elections. I’m looking forward to it and I thank Dr. Coleman for inviting me and for trying to get people from opposite sides of the political spectrum to talk to each other.
Dr. Coleman, fellow pundits, ladies and gentlemen.
I have good news and I have bad news.
First the bad news.
Upstate New York is in a generations-long death spiral.
In a 1962 speech to the Economic Club of New York,
President John F. Kennedy noted
“the chronically depressed areas upstate.”
Ladies and gentlemen – that was 56 years ago.
According to the Federal Tax Agency,
New York State has the highest combined taxes in the nation.
Chief Executive Magazine rates NYS with the second worst business climate in the country.
Meanwhile – upstate continues to de-populate.
From 2000–2016 NYS lost 14% of its population to other states.
NY leads the nation in population loss.
In the recent debate between Governor Cuomo and Cynthia Nixon
they spent 10 seconds on upstate, and zero seconds on tax reduction, the
awful business climate, and population loss.
That is no accident.
Because – upstate’s decline is the direct result of their progressive policies.
That’s the bad news.
Now the good news. Tom Reed stands like a lighthouse—his ideas, a beacon to
point our way out of the mess we’re in—and to warn us to avoid Democrat policies. policies that have failed us for 60 years.
Tom stands for lower taxes, less government and the inevitable result-
PROSPERITY AND JOBS.
Tom spoke at a “Defend Private Property Rights” rally to support victims of Cuomo’s fracking ban. Who were the victims? Farmers, union men and women;
electricians, carpenters, plumbers, welders. Regular folks looking for work, a chance to make it.
Tom fights for them.
Tom voted for the Trump tax cuts, keeping $1,474 in the pockets of married couples with 2 children in the 23rd Congressional District — an 18% tax cut.
Last February, Tom threw the wasteful Omnibus spending bill under the bus,
a gutsy, common-sense vote.
Tom introduced the “Reduce” act to help middle-class families by reducing the cost of college and to make academia more transparent, a desperately needed reform. Tom supports school choice to give minority children a chance at success
by escaping failing public schools. In New York, Tom Reed is one of the few
commonsense conservative voices in a room crowded with incompetent
progressives.
We desperately need his voice, here and in Washington.
He’s a runaway success.
Michael A. Morrongiello, Ph. D.
