Chuckie is more interested inthe peace and security of Israel than he is in the peace and security of the U.S.

The other idiot is jsut a rubber stamp for Chuckie boy.

Are your insurance premiums going up? Do you like being told by the Federal government that you HAVE to purchase a policy or you will be fined? Did you know that under Health Care, funding to Medicare is being decreased? Thank Steve. He is proud of the health care bill!
Like those Bush tax cuts? Steve & Co. left D.C. without voting to extend them. Now there is even talk about killing the mortgage tax rebate. Rhetorical question: if Steve votes with Pelosi 98% of the time, and she suggests this….hmmmm…..I wonder what he’ll do? I also heard that they may be dropping some of the child related credits because they are not fair to people who DON’T have children. Oh goody, fiscally imposed population control.

If you work for a small business, you may know about the challenges facing your boss. Just try talking about next year – a lot of them won’t promise much. Many people have had their hours cut back, or are working shorter work weeks. I was in a business today and the owner was very open about his number one concern – the lives and the well being of his employees. Talk to your health benefits administrator or your payroll department; ask them what they are seeing in 2011. Ask your accounts payable and receivable departments about that $600 rule – they have to file a 1099 on every business that does over $600 a year with your employer. What is that supposed to accomplish – kill more trees and employ more overseeing bureaucrats?

Steve Israel’s race is plenty competitive. He has been in Congress for 10 years – long enough to be considered a career politician by most. His opponent, John Gomez, is a local business owner who has had enough of the shenanigans in D.C. Personally, I think we need more regular people in Congress…ones who know what it’s like day-to-day on Long Island. BTW – Gomez is for term limits, something a lot of people like (on both sides!) Gomez also posted some great Doctor opinion pieces on Facebook last week. Eye opening stuff from local health professionals!

And, while I’m typing…I want to mention that the three major Republican candidates (Paladino, DioGuardi, Townsend) were NOT selected by the boys in the back room. Each of these guys won against the party pick, and each of these guys is from the private sector. For those that get annoyed at Schumer, you should Google his debate with Townsend. Schumer must have been TKO’d because he never showed for a rematch that was scheduled a few days later. All of these guys have said they got into their respective races because they are deeply concerned about the size of government / bureaucracy and the size of the debt. New York is on the verge of bankruptcy – where do you think Albany is going to go to get needed income? Will they cut programs, or raise taxes and fees? Have you tried getting off or on Long Island? The MTA just loves our cash! Have you had to register a car? The fees are as high as the taxes. Did you see that line in the article about going from 29 to 27 districts? New York is bleeding citizens and the businesses that employ them. Perhaps it is time to try something different, like candidates who say they are fiscally conservative. Steve Levy is fiscally conservative, and even though I differ on social issues, I admire his work in keeping to his budget.

One more thing to think about; when you end up paying 50%+$1 of your income to satisfy your tax burden, are you working for yourself or the government? Some people are comfortable with this, but most of us aren’t.

Voters, you owe it to yourself to get educated about the candidates and issues BEFORE voting. Don’t an author’s word as gospel, or anyone’s opinion as fact. Check out the candidates on line (campaign websites, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube) or meet them in person. You have to invest the time; no one can do it for you. You have to decide what matters most this election cycle – fiscal issues or social issues. We all have different opinions on a wide variety of topics; however, we find common ground on the topics that matter most. Vote for yourself and your needs next week.