NY-27: Dan Humiston Challenges Brian Higgins
by Matt at Aug 26th, 2008
Dan Humiston, who is running against incumbent Brian Higgins in the 27th district, called on Higgins today to “promise the people of Western New York that he won’t take another vacation until Congress passes a comprehensive American Energy Plan that includes off-shore drilling.”
The Buffalo News reported on Saturday that Brian Higgins doubted the impact that offshore drilling would have on gas prices. I noted that Brian Higgins needs to face reality when it comes to drilling.
Dan Humiston was also concerned by the article. From a press release:
Following an article in Saturday’s Buffalo News in which Congressman Brian Higgins questioned the utility of domestic drilling, Humiston expressed concern. “Brian Higgins is against off-shore drilling, so instead of working to find a compromise, he voted to take a five-week paid vacation,” Humiston said at a press conference he held this morning. “Higgins made a serious mistake when he took a vacation instead of working to solve our energy crisis. His irresponsible behavior hurt Western New York families and businesses by unnecessarily keeping gas prices high all summer.”
Humiston acknowledged that off-shore drilling will not solve our long-term goal of fossil fuel independence. However, he added, “Off-shore drilling will certainly achieve our mid-term goal of foreign fuel independence. It will also immediately solve our short-term goal of lowering the price at the pump. The moment that we pass a plan to increase the supply of oil through off-shore drilling, the market will react and the price of oil will go down.”
After a five-week paid vacation, Congress will reconvene on September 8. They will then only have until September 26 to pass a comprehensive American Energy Plan before they’re scheduled to start a long three-and-one-half month paid vacation. “In July, the people of Western New York trusted Brian Higgins to make the right decision on his own, but he took a vacation and let us down,” Humiston said. “Apparently, when it comes to his vacations, we can’t trust him to do the right thing on his own. Therefore we now must insist that he signs a pledge that he will NOT take another vacation until Congress passes a comprehensive American Energy Plan that will provide immediate relief at the pump through off-shore drilling.”
Humiston is calling on all Western New Yorkers to insist that Brian Higgins sign the following pledge:
I, Brian Higgins, will NOT vote to start my scheduled three-and-one-half month paid vacation until Congress passes a Comprehensive American Energy Plan that includes off-shore drilling.
Sounds fair to me. If Brian Higgins won’t do something to lower gas prices, which has kept many in his district from going on vacation, why should he be able to go on a vacation of his own… which we’ll be paying for?
Yeah - I was so pissed off about Higgins’ vacation that I decided to check out what he’s been doing for the past few weeks. This was all I could find…and this was in the last few days. Quite a vacation. Apparently Higgins does more on vacation than just about anyone else does when they’re “working” 80 hours a week. See the end of this post for some things that Higgins has been doing during his “vacation.”
The BS press release Humiston sent out is so very, very lame.
Not like his other ones, like the one featured here: http://buffalopundit.wnymedia.net/blogs/archives/6884.
If anyone cares to see, here’s some highlights from Higgins’ recent week of “vacation:”
http://publicbroadcasting.net/wned/news.newsmain?action=printarticle&ARTICLE_ID=1349051
http://www.mayvillememo.com/2008/08/governor-patersons-budget-proposal.html
http://www.buffalorising.com/story/700_block_work_officially_begi
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/423446.html
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/423465.html
http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=8874203
http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/buffaloerie/story/419638.html
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/aug2008/2008-08-21-093.asp
http://post-journal.com/page/content.detail/id/509655.html?nav=5018&showlayout=0
I wonder what the response to my last post will be.
Maybe we could make a game of it. What will they say?
* Lots of press here. Higgins is a media whore.
* So what? He hasn’t really DONE anything. Not like Jack Quinn.
* We don’t care that Jack Quinn never did anything; he is such a nice guy.
* Did we say that Higgins is just a media whore? Well he is, you know.
Andy,
Congress has an obligation to address the energy crisis. Brian Higgins and the Democratic majority bailed on the American people by going to recess without even addressing it… There is no excuse for that.
And let’s be clear, giving a quote to a newspaper isn’t exactly work.
Ah yes, the one excuse I didn’t think of. I’m sure all he did was give quotes. There was no work behind this at all. I’m sure if Jack Quinn or Tom Reynolds secured the Ferry money, it would have been because they are “insiders” who “really knew the system.” But in Higgins’ case, all he’s doing is “providing a quote.” This is so friggin lame — why am I wasting my time here?