While Brian Higgins voted for the massive bailout plan that failed yesterday, Dan Humiston has come out against the bailout, saying it is the wrong answer to our economic crisis.

“I am firmly against a plan that requires innocent Western New Yorkers to clean up the financial mess that greed on Wall Street created. Our community wasn’t responsible for and didn’t benefit from Wall Street’s sub-prime fiasco, so why should we have to pay to fix it?” Humiston said.

“I applaud the House of Representatives for their decision to reject the proposed corporate bailout. I hope that those who voted against the bailout will continue to stand their ground and tell Wall Street that their votes are not for sale. I’m disappointed that Congressman Higgins voted to support the bailout. It’s unfortunate that he chose to support his friends on Wall St. instead of the hardworking families in Western New York.”

Humiston also said that “Western New York families can’t afford to bail out Wall Street. We shouldn’t allow the Wall Street-manipulated media or politicians with hidden agendas to scare us into making a bad decision.”

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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?

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Last week was another busy week for Dan Humiston.

Back on Tuesday, Dan Humiston called on Congress to get back to work and solve the energy crisis. “Americans can’t afford to wait until the middle of September for Congress to address the energy crisis,” Humiston said.  “With gasoline over $4.00 a gallon, many Western New Yorkers are cancelling their summer vacations.  We need Congress to make the same sacrifice.”  

Congressman Brian Higgins, whose seat Humiston is running for, joined his fellow Democrats in abandoning the American people by going on vacation without doing anything about the energy crisis.

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From the inbox:

Independence and Republican Congressional candidate Dan Humiston spoke last night at the Jamestown Republican 300 Club event held at the American Legion.  Humiston shared his vision of progress and growth saying, “The people of Western New York are struggling financially.  They need Congress to stop playing politics and immediately address the economic issues, like how to lower the price of gas.”  This was the third stop in Jamestown this week for Humiston, who is continuing his goal of meeting everyone in the 27th district.  This weekend he will be at Sky Fest, Taste of Jamestown, Italian Fest, Eden Corn Fest, the Polish Post Festival Party and Hot Summer Nights (both in West Seneca) and the Colden Picnic.

Check out Dan Humiston and support his campaign.

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Dan Humiston, the Republican-endorsed candidate for Congress in the 27th congressional district, attended the John McCain fundraiser last night at the Albright-Knox Gallery. He was kind of enough to answer a few questions I had about the fundraiser, since the media and local liberal bloggers seem more interested in talking about the high price of admission. 

“Senator McCain focused his remarks primarily on the important issues facing our nation including the economy, price of gas and the war,” Humiston told me.

So, what is the media missing about McCain’s fundraiser? Not just the money he raised, according to Humiston, but the support that is clearly there. “Senator McCain raised a lot of money in a very short period of time,” he explained. “Clearly there is a lot of support for him in Western New York.  The media should ask what kind of message this sends to Democrat candidates in this part of the state and how it will affect their campaign strategies.”

Even the Buffalo News wrote off McCain’s efforts by leading their story about the event saying that McCain left Buffalo last night with, “no new hope of carrying New York in November.” So, I was curious if Humiston got any indication that the McCain campaign sees New York as a potential battleground in the presidential election. Humiston said that Western New York “has a large percentage of conservative Democrats who consistently support moderate Republicans over liberal Democrats.” He asked, “Will the Democrat candidates publicly back their the man at the top of their ticket and his views or will they attempt to distance themselves from him?”

Since Humiston is a newcomer to politics, I wanted to know what he got out of the event with McCain. “I am overwhelmed by the excessive amount of money that is necessary to wage a successful campaign,” he told me. “Incumbency comes with many perks and one is the ability to raise large sums of money from Washington’s special interests.” In November, Humiston will face incumbent Brian Higgins, who was first elected to Congress in 2004.

Humiston added, “The candidate who raises the most money usually wins and that’s too bad. If we want to elect a new breed of leaders we need to change the system so it rewards skills other than fundraising.” 

Despite the influence of money in politics, Humiston got some encouraging words from John McCain about his race. “I had a good talk to McCain about my race; he said that this year is setting up perfect for a candidate like me (an Independent, business owner who hasn’t been in politics) to knock off an incumbent.”

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Dan Humiston’s campaign announced that he will run uncontested on the Independence line in the 27th district against Rep. Brian Higgins.

After meeting with state and local party representatives this weekend, Erie County Independence Party Chairman Tony Orsini confirmed the party’s support of Humiston, ending any speculation of a September primary on the line. Orsini added, “We are very excited about Dan Humiston’s run for Congress, and the tremendous effort and success his campaign has shown recently, especially in the petition process. We will be proud to have someone from the Independence Party representing our interests in Washington.”

Humiston needed approximately 750 registered Independence Party signatures, or 5% of the district’s total, to run on the November ballot. He submitted nearly 1500 signatures to the Board of Elections on the July 10th deadline, almost double the necessary amount.

“I’m thrilled and honored to be recognized as the candidate to represent the Independence Party in the 27th district. I’ve worked very hard, and will continue to do so every day until I reach Washington. And then I will work even harder,” Humiston said. A registered Independent, Humiston, who is founder and president of Tanning Bed, Inc., has also received the endorsement of the Republican Party.

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I got back from the Chris Lee for Congress fundraiser at the Buffalo-Niagara Marriott in Amherst a little while ago. It was a big event with lots of people and campaign officials tell me it was a huge success.

Yours truly was in attendance at the fundraiser for both the VIP Meet & Greet and the reception that followed.

There were quite a few local party leaders and Republican candidates there this evening, and I was fortunate to meet quite a few of them. Jim Domagalski, chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, Henry F. Wojtaszek, chairman of the Niagara County Republican Party, and Ed Cox, the New York State chairman of Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign.

As for the candidates, I had really good conversations with Dan Humiston, who’s running for congress in the 27th District (my district) and Detective Dennis Delano, candidate for the State Senate.

Also there this evening was Congressman Tom Reynolds. There were a lot of people who wanted to speak with him, so I only talked to him briefl

y, but I expect to be conducting an interview with him for The Buffalo Bean sometime in the near future.

Of course, the man of the hour was Chris Lee. Congressman Reynolds introduced Lee to the VIP Meet & Greet, praising him for “understanding Western New York and its values.” He called Lee a “new voice in the next generation of leadership,” and after describing Lee’s background in business and his family, said that Lee “brings strong conservative values and principles to the aspect of what [being in Congress] needs and is about.”

Later, at the reception, Reynolds once again introduced Chris Lee to the larger crowd. He began by saying that he truly believes the saying that “all politics is local” and that he practiced that his entire career. He explained, “Chris Lee brings [in his life experience] … an experience of business, [and] a native aspect of being a Western new Yorker,” and of being the father of a three-year-old.

Reynolds hinted at the success of the fundraiser by revealing that it was “a record setting fundraiser for an inaugural candidacy for anyone running for the United States House of Representatives.”

Then he welcome the next congressman for the 26th district, Chris Lee.

Flattered by the large crowd and enormous enthusiasm, Chris Lee promised to work for the people of his district, he recognized that the people in this room that he’d be working for, “you’re paying my salary if I’m fortunate enough to get there.”

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The race to take back CD-27 is on!

Daniel J. Humiston joined the growing cadre of local businessmen plunging into Republican politics Tuesday by promising to transfer his experience as founder of the Tanning Bed chain to the House of Representatives.

Surrounded outside West Seneca Town Hall by several bronzed employees of his 23- year-old company, Humiston launched what he acknowledged will prove a tough campaign against Brian Higgins, the two-term incumbent Democrat. But he pointed across Union Road to the location of his first Tanning Bed outlet, recalling the chance he took on a venture that now employs more than 700 people in 34 outlets.

“Fast-forward 23 years, and here I am again in the same spot,” he said. “I have the same feeling, except this time my vision is for Western New York. It’s a vision of growth, it’s a vision of prosperity, and it’s a vision of optimism.”

Humiston, 44, is a member of the Independence Party but will receive the backing of Republican leaders to run on their line. Erie County Republican Chairman James P. Domagalski was on hand to demonstrate his support, reflecting yet another candidate from the business community he has recruited for major offices.

“I think you see in Dan a focused businessman with proven leadership and job creation skills, and someone who’s about achieving something — not being something,” Domagalski said. “The incumbent is very good at getting press. Our opponent in this race has been at three different levels of government, and the thing that he’s best at is criticizing the level of government he left when he’s at the next level.”

Given the recent slowdown of the economy, it certainly is a good idea to have someone with business experience representing the district instead of someone whose voting record suggests he knows very little about what’s good for business.

UPDATE: Watch the video.

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Tomorrow, Dan Humiston, the President and CEO of The Tanning Bed, will officially announce his candidacy for Congress in New York’s 27th Congressional District. Huniston will make his announcement on the steps of West Seneca Town Hall at 10 am Tuesday, May 20.

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