Campaign Announcement
Introduction of Gary Mittleman by Robert Hymes
Good afternoon, my name is Robert Hymes and I am honored to introduce to you Gary Mittleman. As a native New Yorker, Gary came to this region 11 years ago as the founding CEO of Plug Power, a leader in alternative energy where he created over 400 jobs right here in the capitol region. Gary is an expert in energy, a topic of tremendous importance not only our nation but also to the people who call the 21st Congressional District home. He is a proven leader in bringing to the marketplace alternative energy solutions such as fuel-cell, solar, and laser fusion technology. Gary also has first hand experience with conventional energy sources as well, which includes working with electric utility companies as well as major oil producers.
Not only does Gary have proven business experience, but also has established himself in the local community. He's a former trustee of the Nature Conservancy and has served on the board of the Albany Institute of History and Art.
Finally, in supporting our honorable and courageous troops, he feels strongly about withdrawing from Iraq with all deliberate speed.
I am honored to call Gary: a neighbor, friend, and mentor.
So, without further ado, please allow me to introduce the next Congressman from New York's 21st District: Gary Mittleman!
Announcement Speech
This great country of ours faces serious challenges. Our economy, our health care system, and our foreign policy have declined to a state that requires real action. It's not enough to call ourselves "agents of change" and think we've done something to improve people's lives. Our politicians are not getting the job done. We need leaders who are creative enough to develop practical solutions to our current problems and bold enough to act upon them once they get to Washington. So let me use this opportunity to discuss some specifics and to explain why my candidacy for Congress is one that can actually improve the lives of the people who live in the 21st District.
The state of our economy is perhaps the single most important issue facing us today. If the politicians in Washington were serious about a real stimulus package and creating jobs, they have not shown it with their latest actions. Now don't misunderstand me, I am sure we will all be happy when we receive that much needed check from Washington in the mail and we will put it to good use. Many will pay off credit card debts, some might make a mortgage payment, and still others might use the money to fill-up their gas tank as a result of our ever increasing gasoline prices. Perhaps some people will buy that foreign-made wide-screen TV they've been wanting or a few might even save for a rainy day. The problem is none of these actions will help our economy or help create American jobs. Rather they will only add to our budget deficit – which continues to be out of control – and is the reason for the poor economy in the first place.
Poor decisions by our government are abundant these days. Just this past weekend, the Pentagon announced it was awarding a multi-billion dollar aircraft refueling project to Airbus-a French company. Boeing -- an American company – lost out even though its proposal was said to be excellent. This decision, according to officials was made without regard to American jobs or technologies that are being shipped overseas. This is wrong. We need people in Washington that will speak up and put an end to this type of destruction of our economy.
Now I know it's easy to throw stones, so let me now demonstrate the harder task of providing solutions. If I were in Washington as your Congressman, I would have offered a real stimulus package that would create jobs and improve our flawed energy program at the same time. I would call for directing the same $152 billion we're spending on these one-time checks to instead be directed toward meaningful incentives to the private sector to manufacture, to build and to erect American-made wind turbines, solar energy heaters and photo-voltaic cells. I would call for immediate and substantial sales rebates to companies and installers of American made goods. By doing that we would quickly add as many as a million new jobs. In addition, for the first time, we would also be doing something real to help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and clean up the atmosphere.
I would not stop with just a stimulus package to fix our ailing economy. I believe that a robust economy is one where our country is shipping goods all over the world because we employ the best technology, we demand the highest quality and we have the lowest prices. Establishing this competitive advantage requires three things: a well educated society, a government which supports the development of new technologies and a balanced budget.
First, our education system is now ranked 17th among the industrialized nations. We used to be number one. This can not continue. We must make it easier for our young people to go to college – and for their parents to pay for their children's world-class education. Parents must be able to deduct the cost of a college education on their taxes and for students who are still unable to afford college, they must be given help from the government in the form of a contract. The federal government will make an investment in their education and in return the students will invest back in our country by volunteering in places that help those in need. These volunteer opportunities could send energetic young people into health care, disaster relief, feeding the poor, helping the disabled and elderly or even joining the military.
Second, with respect to government support, let me be clear: I am not a fan of earmarks and pork-barrel spending. I am, however, a fan of programs that can help the U.S. economy and actually create jobs. Today, let me address one that is of specific importance to our congressional district. Nanotechnology is a field that can and will produce many important products for worldwide consumption in the years to come. Just like Japan supported steel and cars in the 1960's to develop their dominance in that industry, we need to make a concerted effort to grow our local nanotechnology advantage. Much of the path-breaking efforts in this field already are taking place right here in our own backyard at the University at Albany, at RPI and many local companies. We must not lose our edge to other countries.
Third, we must take a fresh look at our tax policies and the way we spend our money. The career politicians in Washington seem to be digging a deeper and deeper hole for us. Next year's deficit is now projected at over $400 billion. We can not afford this. It is ruining our economy and devaluing our dollar. We need to examine both the complexity of the tax code – which almost no one can understand – and it's fairness to hardworking people who are struggling to make ends meet. On the spending side of the equation, I am often amazed at how much we spend and often wonder what benefits we get from it. Last year our federal government spent over $1 trillion that was considered "discretionary." These numbers become so big it is often difficult to appreciate what they mean, so let me cite an example. With just 1% of the budget monies we call discretionary, the private sector could employ 40 thousand scientists, doctors or engineers a year to work on such problems as a cure for cancer or Alzheimer's or develop a new means to fight MRSA a drug resistant bacteria that is now killing more Americans than AIDS. We need to spend our money on those things that count. As your representative in Washington I will constantly ask: Are we spending within our means and are we getting our monies worth? I will never forget that the people of this district work hard for the money they send to Washington. We need to re-evaluate the benefits that government agencies provide from the ground up, rather than merely limiting them to a 1% budget increase for the next year.
I have just spoken at length about our economy, but it is not the only thing that needs attention. As a society we have neglected the needs of 47 million Americans who are without health care insurance. For decades Congress has argued over plans and has failed to reach consensus agreement to move ahead in any direction. It should be clear to everyone by now that the process we use to make decisions is seriously flawed. I suggest a new means of moving forward. Instead of developing the one huge comprehensive plan that fits all, let's begin instituting a number of trials in different regions of the country and see how they work. We can then take the best practices that are learned from each and apply them to the nation as a whole. Let's try to move ahead by doing something rather than getting nothing done but merely talking about it.
I believe it is evident that the typical politics-as-usual is not working. We do not need any more career politicians. Instead, we need people with real experience in creating and building things – and getting real results. We need people who have a real knowledge about the vital issues that loom on the horizon and ideas as to how to solve them. I bring proven leadership in business. I know what it takes to fix the economy. I have real knowledge about the energy industry-both conventional and alternative. And this provides the basis for developing an energy policy that works. In Washington, I believe that I will be someone to whom other elected officials will go to for guidance. My voice will be heard. And the people of this district will benefit.
I am honored to have the opportunity to run for this office and hope that I can capture your trust, your support and your votes. If you seek more information about me or my campaign, I encourage you to explore my web site at www.MittlemanforCongress.com. Thank you for your help. I look forward to visiting with you out on the campaign trail.