Voting against veterans not good
Bravos to Post-Star, North Country Public Radio for accountability reporting
The Front Page
Morning Update
Friday, January 28, 2022
By Ken Tingley
Both The Post-Star and North Country Public Radio produced some accountability reporting on Rep. Elise Stefanik this week. This is the heart of what community newspapers should be doing to hold elected representatives accountable and they should be applauded for it. All voters and residents of the district should pay close attention.
The North Country Public Radio story was done by Zach Hirsch and walks us through how Rep. Stefanik has changed her views and outlook over the past few years. Elected officials leave a trail of votes, statements and interviews that makes this type of reporting possible, and maybe more importantly these days accurate.
On Thursday, Maury Thompson of The Post-Star pointed out that Rep. Stefanik has voted against two bills that seem to be beneficial to veterans. Stefanik, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, has been rabid supporter of Fort Drum and the soldiers in the military ever since she came to Congress. There is nothing wrong with that, but it makes these two recent votes quite a bit out of character.
The first vote would have automatically enrolled veterans in the Veterans Health Care System to ensure no one - like someone suffering from PTSD or someone who was homeless - would fall through the cracks for health care coverage. Forty-four Republicans supported what seems to be a common sense measure. Stefanik’s spokesman argued that automatically enrolling someone in the system removed their opportunity to make a choice on whether to be enrolled. Since was the designed to help people who might not be able to make those kinds of decisions for themselves, this appears to be one of the lamest excuses you will ever hear from a politician. Rep. Stefanik did not have the time to explain it to Thompson herself.
Rep. Stefanik also voted against a bill that would allow reservists and National Guard members to qualify earlier for educational benefits. At face value, this is an enhancement of benefits for those in the military that 68 other Republicans found acceptable.
Stefanik’s spokesman said Congress had not done its due diligence because there was no hearings on the bill. Again, this seemed like a common sense effort to help veterans. You have to wonder if Rep. Stefanik believes every comma edited in legislation needs a public hearing? At its worst, it sounds like she is accepting a need for bigger government.
What seems to be at play here is that since Rep. Stefanik is now in the Republican leadership in the House of Representatives, she must set a good example for fellow Republican members by voting against anything positive from a Democratic-controlled House. Even if it helps make veterans lives just a little bit easier.
Obstructing the process probably occurs in both parties, but you can’t help but wonder if these specific votes are more about winning elections when it should be about helping people.
Hudson Falls event
I want to thank everyone who turned out for my book reading and signing Wednesday evening at the Hudson Falls Library. The temperature was hovering just above zero, but we still had a good turnout and nice conversation.
Thanks again to Kay Hefner for organizing the event. She is working on doing more of these community events in the future. You should keep an eye out for the next one.
Ice Castles
The Post-Star confirmed what I had been hearing about a Warren County Day to visit the Ice Castles in Lake George at a reduced price of $5. Warren County Day will be Wednesday, Feb. 2 from 4-9 p.m. but you cannot buy tickets in advance. You can only buy them on site.
More on Sheldon Silver
To follow up on Wednesday’s commentary about the death of Sheldon Silver, it is definitely worth your time to check out Chris Churchill’s column in the Times-Union. And I think Chris was just touching the tip of the iceberg.
Gottta be true
My cousins in Ireland have been helping me with some family research about our family. We’ve all been learning a lot about our grandparents, our extended family and the times they lived.
My cousin Linda decided to lighten the load on Thursday and sent me this bit of humor:
Jesus looked across the table at God and asked : "Where have you been these past 2 years?"
God replied, "I've been in Ireland ."
Jesus, with a shocked look said, "So there has been a pandemic raging these past 2 years and you've been in Ireland . What have you being doing?"
God leaned over and whispered, "Working from home son, working from home."
Elies has been doing this for years. Spring 2020 she voted against a multi appropriation bill, including agriculture, rural development, military construction and State Department Security. I didn't bother to call in order to be lied to, nor was there any statement. Within the bill was a restriction of redirecting funds toward the failed campaign promise, as funds for constructing military family housing (and other areas) had been the previous year.
Just to add another voice to the very good responses to your Front Page: I think her justification about "automatically enrolling someone" is part of the strange responses to mandates and vaccination as infringing on someone's freedom--the right wing's dislike of government acting for the good of the people, seeing "freedom" apart from community good. An example of their "reasoning" is Senator Ron Johnson's dislike of the child tax credit: "People decide to have families and become parents. That's something they need to consider when they make a choice. I've never really felt it was society's responsibility to take care of other people's children." (As an aside, the rigorous Republican state action against women's right to "choose" would effectively remove choice.") It's a question of "care"--for people, for the environment, for government's role "for the people."
The Post Star, as good reporting should, did mention other veteran bills stefanik had supported.
The other article about how Stefanik has moved to the extreme right was not news but very newsworthy, particularly for those who proudly say "I am Republican," not realizing how right wing their party had become. And how dangerous in terms of their denial of the 2020 election for Biden, how most, including stefanik, support the lie that Trump won despite all evidence, will not vote for the Voting Rights Act, and are complicit in allowing autocratic power to have power.