Post-Star - Candidates Spar at Forum

News Article

By DREW KERR

The war in Iraq, climate change, support for farmers and education were among a host of national issues addressed during the first of three meetings between Republican congressional candidate Alexander "Sandy" Treadwell and U.S. Rep. Kirsten Gillibrand.

Speaking at a congressional forum before about 500 people, the candidates for New York's 20th Congressional District took video questions from local residents and later from audience members at the Bardavon Opera House in Poughkeepsie.

The discussion was wide-ranging but began with -- and repeatedly returned to -- the economy.

Treadwell, a former New York secretary of state, used the issue to press a claim made in his campaign ads that Gillibrand voted for "the largest tax increase in American history." He described taxes in New York as "crushing" and reiterated a pledge to never raise taxes on individuals or businesses while in office.

Gillibrand, a Democrat from Greenport, later called the assertion that she voted to raise taxes "untrue," noting that the vote he referred to was for a larger budget bill that included no language on tax increases.

"I didn't raise anyone's taxes," she said.

After the debate, the Treadwell and Gillibrand campaigns each sought to clarify the issue.

Peter Constantakes, a spokesman for the Treadwell campaign, said that the budget resolution in question included a stipulation that required any cuts in revenue to be offset to avoid increasing the national debt. If Gillibrand wanted to pass a middle-class tax cut, then, the money would be required to be made up "and it's going to be through a tax increase," he said.

But Jess Fassler, of the Gillibrand campaign, said Gillibrand's vote was for a non-binding budget resolution that lays out a budget blueprint, and that a reserve had specifically been set aside to finance middle-class tax cuts.

"You can repeat a lie over and over again, but it still doesn't make it true," Fassler said.

On rebuilding the economy, Gillibrand said the country should capitalize on the emerging clean and renewable energy fields and create a job program that would focus on rebuilding infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sewers. She hopes the jobs program will be part of a new economic stimulus package Congress will take up in November, she said.

Treadwell, meanwhile, reiterated his call for an overhaul of government spending, including a one-year moratorium on earmarks and an independent panel to review all government spending to look for waste. Money saved could be used for tax relief, he said.

"We have to cut government waste," Treadwell said in a brief interview after the debate. "They are on an absolute spending spree in Washington."

On energy, Treadwell said that he supports investing in nuclear, solar, wind and other renewable energies as a way to wean America off foreign oil, but also said he supports more domestic drilling to address short-term energy needs.

"We should have had an energy policy in this country 30 years ago but Congress did nothing," Treadwell said. "They hit the snooze button."

Gillibrand said she supports investing $150 billion into clean and renewable energy over the next 10 years.

The money should be spent on financing research and development in the private sector, she said.

"It's the greatest opportunity of our lifetime," the first-term lawmaker said.

On Iraq, Gillibrand said she believe troops should be redeployed out of Iraq and placed in Afghanistan. Treadwell said Gillibrand has flip-flopped on the issue after supporting the war effort during her campaign against U.S. Rep. John Sweeney in 2006. He also said that the "surge" is working.

"It may not be the politically expedient thing to say, but it's true," he said, adding, "Americans do not want surrender and they do not want defeat."

Treadwell and Gillibrand, who will debate again on Thursday in Albany, were joined on stage by four other regional congressional candidates.

U.S. Rep. John Hall, D- Dover, and his Republican opponent, Kieran Lalor, represented the 19th Congressional District. U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-Hurley and his opponent, Republican George Phillips, from the 22nd Congressional district, also appeared.

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