On Sept. 12, 2009, 750,000 Tea Party activists from around the country, peacefully gathered on the Great Lawn of the Capital to demonstrate their opposition to Obamacare.
On that same day, six of those Tea Party members, all Long Island residents, walked into the office of their local Congressman, Steve Israel, to find out exactly why he was such a strong supporter of President Obama’s plan to radically alter the greatest health-care system on the planet. I was a member of that Tea Party group.
Rep. Steve Israel was always a fan of socialized medicine. He was one of Nancy Pelosi’s most trusted strategists in getting ObamaCare through congress.
While we were in D.C., who better could answer our healthcare questions than he? To our utter amazement, when we walked into his office, the congressman started our meeting with a concession that he needed his “health-care expert” to help answer all of our questions.
Turning the meeting over to a 20-year old intern, was, to say the least, a rather inauspicious beginning. During the next 45 minutes, every question was redirected to his young assistant.
It was apparent that Rep.Israel nor his expert, ever anticipated such a knowledgeable and prepared group of constituents. Wanting specific answers, all we got were those typical Reed-Pelosi ( and now Steve Israel!) talking points, all filled with vague generalities.
When that didn’t satisfy us, a frustrated Steve Israel abruptly ended the meeting, and stormed out of his office. His first encounter with the Nassau-Queens County Tea Party, didn’t go very well. Unfortunately for our country, congressmen, like Steve Israel, voted for a bill they knew nothing about.
Two weeks ago, Congressman Israel spoke before the Great Neck Chamber of Commerce, in which he presented his own job-creation plan.
Where else could a Democrat like Steve Israel find a more adoring audience than in liberal Great Neck ?
Remembering how uncomfortable he was when he faced us, it didn’t surprising me at all, that this time the room was packed with every local Democratic official they could find. Since Rep. Israel is now the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the fourth most powerful Democrat in Congress, it’s not often that we hear from such a high ranking administration supporter.
1 – He calls the first of his three-part idea, “The Parks-American Products Plan.”
Wait till to hear this one ! It would require all items sold in our national parks to be manufactured in America. Yes! That’s it? Certainly it’s a noble idea. But since our country is drowning in a massive $17 trillion debt, coupled with a huge long-term, unemployment problem, such an insignificant program won’t really help us much. We need much more than a “feel good” idea. I guess the good side of this is that every time I see a “I climbed Mt. Washington” bumper sticker, I’ll think of Steve Israel. .
2 – His second suggestion is no better than his first. He wants to create a “small-business IRA”, which would allow employers to save up tax deductible dollars and then spend it to improve their own business. I don’t mean any disrespect , but:
1 – all business expenditures ARE tax deductible. IRA’s are tax deferred!
2 – it could take years to save up enough money needed to purchase expensive equipment that are needed immediately.
3 – More accessible, low interest loans for deserving, credit-worthy, business owners, is where the problem is!
Woops! Sorry Rep. Israel. That’s supposed to be your job to figure that out. But, what do I know? I only ran my own business for 38 years.
3 – When Progressives run out of ideas, they always fall back on Steve Israel’s third suggestion. He wants to invest more of our taxpayer money on infrastructure! How original is that?
Did he forget that every government project takes, on average, 3-4 years to actually become shovel-ready? Can our unemployed workers wait that long? Can our country survive at all with more borrowing that digs us deeper and deeper into debt?
That’s his “new” plan? Is he kidding? Why doesn’t he stop blocking the Keystone pipeline or open federal lands to oil and natural gas drilling? That and so many other ideas, would immediately produce thousands and thousands of high paying, full time jobs.
Why wasn’t Steve Israel’s liberal agenda challenged?
Oh, I forgot! The organizer of the event was Chamber of Commerce President Hooshang Nematzadeh, a lifelong, personal friend of Congressman Israel. That explains it all !
In 10 months we will have our mid-term elections. Let’s hope that when our Congressman runs for re-election, Great Neck’s Chamber of Commerce will give our community an opportunity to hear a better and more realistic discussion of the problems we are facing.
Dr. Stephen Morris
North Hills
