Today's Massa press conference started with the vets, worked its way through tax cuts, and ended with transparency. More after the break.
Massa began with a discussion of vets and their access to health care. Noting that Randy Kuhl had recently discussed veterans' benefits (and been quoted in the news), he said:
Every veteran I've spoken to is angered and frustrated by professional politicians [...] five years after starting this war, veterans are not getting the benefits promised to them. As a veteran, this is no surprise. Nothing is good enough for our veterans, and that's exactly what Randy Kuhl and George Bush are giving us. They brag about the increase in benefits, but it took a new party and new leadership to make it happen this year.
Massa used the example of a recent amendment to HR 3687, the Small Business Contracting Program Improvements Act, which he said would have hurt the ability of vets to start a new business. Massa noted that Kuhl had voted for the amendment, which was opposed by the American Legion. (Here are the relevant congressional record pages and vote.)
"The VFW and DAV gave Randy Kuhl a rating of somewhere in the vicinity of 7%," he said, and added that Kuhl just "hopes no one is watching"
Massa moved on to the alternative minimum tax, Massa noted that the recently-passed reduction to the AMT will affect 50,000 people in the 29th district, and it would have "closed a lot of the millionaire loopholes."
I asked Massa if he thought that Kuhl's charge that the bill would damage entrepreneurs was correct. He said that, for the 29th district, the 50,000 family members whose taxes would have been reduced would have seen significant increases in net family income.
The problem is multinational corporations, which donate millions to campaigns of people like Randy Kuhl, that didn't want the loopholes closed. We saw it with S-CHIP, where Randy Kuhl said he wouldn't support a [tax on tobacco]. 75% of his money came from corporate PACS last quarter.
Massa added, "How could anyone not want to give tax relief on AMT? It's a no-brainer, but they bring up these scarecrows."
I then asked Massa his take on Governor Spitzer's reversal on his drivers' license plan: "It's a shame that governors all over the country have to do the job that the Commander-in-Chief was hired to do."
It's a shame that George Bush has failed to secure our borders. It illustrates a fundamental reality that Washington is broken. They don't care about illegal immigration. People like Randy Kuhl want immigrants in the country [...] to work for sub-minimum wages. It has been five years since 9/11. This administration and its rubberstamps in Congress have failed to secure our borders.
I also asked Massa if he would follow the lead of Kirsten Gillibrand and publish his schedule on his website, and establish a grants central if he was elected.
I have great admiration for Kirsten Gillibrand. I especially like her idea that once a month her entire DC staff comes to the district and sets up tents, [calling it] "Washington on the Corner". [...] I would like to see Randy Kuhl publish his schedule. [...] When I'm in Congress, I'm going to see how open my schedule can be.
Massa said that he likes the idea of posting grants, and he wants to reach out to "find critical sources of funding that do not add to the deficit and increase quality of life in the district." However, he noted that pork-barrel spending must be brought under control, saying that Randy Kuhl is "more than happy to charge millions of dollars to our children, yet he won't raise the price of tobacco 25 cents and change."
I was the only person who asked questions on the call, but there were others on the call who did not identify themselves.