Your Opinions

Tenney must not give ‘alternate facts’

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney’s recent electronic newsletter to her constituents cites the following, “Upstate New York has seen vital employers move their operations overseas to avoid the high [national] tax rate and regulatory burden.”

I wrote the Congresswoman’s office and requested a list of those vital Upstate employers who have moved their operations overseas. I have not received a reply, so I ask the voters in our district, “has anyone lost their job because their employer moved operations overseas?”

Let’s make sure our representative in congress is 1) speaking truth and 2) working on issues that really matter to us. I, for one, have had enough of “alternate facts” following this most recent election.

Tenney dedicated to civility

The 2016 election has left our country feeling more divided than ever. Not only did candidates increase political incivility in our country through disrespectful remarks and name calling, but the tone of the campaigns even led to physical violence. In the years prior to the 2016 election, the public had already completely lost confidence in Congress, with public opinion polls consistently showing less than 10 percent of Americans having any trust in the body. The past six weeks have left many wondering what must be done to protect the core institutions of our democracy.

Recently, 28 Republicans and 18 Democrats, the Freshman Class of the 115th Congress, signed a Commitment to Civility – from red states and blue states, from the north and the south. Claudia Tenney was among them. Congresswoman Tenney is dedicating herself to showing proper respect and modeling civility in all of her actions. By doing this, she believes that the Congress can work more effectively and even begin to restore public trust.

Congresswoman Tenney started her remarks on the floor quoting President George W. Bush’s first Inaugural address: “Civility is not a tactic or a sentiment. It is the determined choice of trust over cynicism, of community over chaos.” She went on to say that “...was a time for new beginnings and it is a time for new beginnings now.” She appealed to her colleagues to embrace a shared mission of putting the American people first and conducting all the business of the House with civility and respect despite our differences. Hopefully people throughout Rep. Tenney’s district will take her message to heart in dealing with differences in your communities.

President John F. Kennedy in his Inaugural address noted that “civility is not a sign of weakness, and sincerity is always subject to proof.” These members, including Congresswoman Tenney, have made clear that their commitment is to their word and that they will move forward to do the job their constituents sent them to Washington to do, without succumbing to the rancor and vi- ciousness that has been dominating our politics today.

We congratulate Congresswoman Tenney and hope that her constituents let her know that they are proud of her leadership and stand ready to support her commitment to civility in interacting with people who hold different views. We all have a role to play in reviving civility and respect, and we should thank Claudia Tenney for taking the lead.