Bucks County is hot. Not just weather-wise but also politically. As a result, we get all sorts of cool attention paid to us. On top of that, my husband is registered as an Independent so our home is a target of voter persuasion gimmicks. I've been getting a bunch of attack ads already from the Republican incumbent, Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick. You may remember some Fitzpatrick-based attack ads from 2004 - nobody does hate like the GOP.
Tonight I got called to join Congressman Fitzpatrick's live telephone town hall, which is a simply fantastic idea to reach out to voters. I, or I should say, my husband, got called to participate in one of these a couple of weeks ago but we weren't home. Tonight, I got lucky. And so did you because thanks to my copious notes, you can feel like you were there!
I think I missed about half of the call and I joined an answer in progress so that was annoying. I started out assuming that the questions were fixed but after listening to the questions, I'm not sure the callers were screened - you'll see what I mean. Of course, they certainly could have been. I wish a local reporter would look into the whole process.
Anyway, as I said, I took notes. You can see how well the congressman positions himself as a moderate. He really isn't on most issues. His moderate cred hangs completely on energy policy and the environment. No surprise, he was very strong on those tonight.
Everything below is paraphrased. Since I don't type 200 wpm, I missed some stuff but I think I caught the gist of every question and answer. My comments are in parentheses:
He's talking about supporting net neutrality.
No new question but now he's talking about wanting to break open the credit rating industry open to competition. Only two companies, Moody's and S&P, now have 80% of the business in America. No competition means innovation down, quality down. Moody's and S&P rated Enron and WorldCom as worthy of investment 4 days before they filed for bankruptcy. He drafted a bill that passed with strong bi-partisan support. It just got through the Senate banking committee with bi-partisan support as well. If it passes the Senate it will be another bill he drafted that will become law by the end of the year.
He wants association health plans. (They're a disaster. Here too.)
He's ending with this: "So it's health care, taxes, fair trade with places like China."
You know, he has the nerve to talk about fair trade but he cast the deciding vote on the disastrous CAFTA. I'll be willing to hear his thoughts on fair trade when he apologizes for the corporate protectionist pact, CAFTA, and introduces all necessary bills to reform it. Until then, I'm pretty sure that the Congressman doesn't know what "fair trade" means.
Caller 2: I have a question about some legislation that was recently approved in the Senate to allow drilling off the coastline of the US. I believe you voted no a couple of times on that. I just wanted to get your view on that, specifically on the legislation that came through the House.
Fitz: Once again, let me start off by saying this. As a nation we need to be energy independent and there are different ways to get there. Come to my renewable energy forum. Hybrids! Ethanol! E85! One of the reasons I'm having that forum is because "I've spoken out on a number of occasions against the energy policy of this country." Then he went on about how bad the energy policy is and that drilling shouldn't be our first recourse when it comes to getting independent of foreign oil.
Caller 2: We shouldn't let drilling be held hostage to the environment. It needs to be part of our plan.
Fitz: In Brazil they power their cars with ethanol. Can't we do that, if they can? The federal government opened 8.3 acres of federal waters to drilling without talking about conservation and alternative fuels. Without providing incentives to businesses who work in the area of alternative energy. That concerns me.
Caller 2: We need to drill! We can't hold up drilling offshore for natural gas while we wait for conservation to catch on.
Fitz: Five of my bills have become law. I hope the Senate passes the minimum wage/"death tax" bill.
Caller 2: You have a remarkable record for writing legislation and getting it passed. It sounds like you have a lot to say about the environment.
Fitz: I feel strongly about it. We should be proud that alternative fuel suppliers are moving into Bucks County. Becoming a bit of a power generator and energy supplier for the rest of the Eastern Seaboard.
Caller 2: Thanks for having the call. I appreciate it.
He loves this issue.
Fitz: If you'd like to ask a question, just hit the pound sign. That will put you in the queue.
Caller 3: I'm a waiter. I was wondering how the minimum wage works with the waiters. I work with a woman who worked a table of eleven people today and didn't get a tip.
Uh oh. This could be trouble for our hero. The minimum wage bill is something he's been crowing about since he got back from voting for it. He's all about this vote. Let's see how he explains the very real problem the caller is mentioning.
Fitz: I didn't come from the state legislature. I was a county commissioner. Some states have a tip credit. So the employer is credited for tips that that waiter may have received. I hope the Senate passes the bill, it will increase the minimum wage. It does, I believe, include the tip credit. So for states that have that law on the books, it will remain constant.
Wha? The bill also contains a poison pill that raises the limit of the estate tax to $5M. Here are some more facts about this bill: (from a press release from PA Action)
The House bill would boost the bottom line for America’s restaurants, while taking money away from waiters and waitresses, parking attendants, bellhops and other hardworking Americans who depend on tips to support themselves and their families.
Under current federal law, restaurant owners can pay their waiters and waitresses as little as only $2.13 an hour, and the rest of their compensation is supposed to come from tips. The same is true for hotel maids, parking attendants, bartenders – all workers who rely on tips to make a living.
Congress has increased this cash wage only 12 cents in the last 25 years.
Federal labor and employment law sets a minimum floor, but states are free to guarantee higher wage for tipped workers. In fact, the Fair Labor Standards Act encourages states to enact laws that are more protective for workers than the federal law.
Seven states – Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington – do not allow a “tip penalty.” They guarantee that tipped workers get the full minimum wage plus any tips they receive.
But the House bill would take power away from the states by nullifying these state laws providing stronger wage protections for tipped employees than the federal standard. In fact, the bill would change the minimum wage for tipped workers in these seven states, requiring them to be paid only the federal minimum wage (not the higher state minimum wage) until the state enacts a law with a tip penalty.
Washington and Oregon have passed ballot initiatives to provide stronger wage protections to tipped employees than the federal protections. This amendment overturns the will of the voters in those states."
Federal labor and employment law sets a minimum floor, but states are free to guarantee higher wage for tipped workers. In fact, the Fair Labor Standards Act encourages states to enact laws that are more protective for workers than the federal law.
Seven states – Alaska, California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington – do not allow a “tip penalty.” They guarantee that tipped workers get the full minimum wage plus any tips they receive.
But the House bill would take power away from the states by nullifying these state laws providing stronger wage protections for tipped employees than the federal standard. In fact, the bill would change the minimum wage for tipped workers in these seven states, requiring them to be paid only the federal minimum wage (not the higher state minimum wage) until the state enacts a law with a tip penalty.
Washington and Oregon have passed ballot initiatives to provide stronger wage protections to tipped employees than the federal protections. This amendment overturns the will of the voters in those states. It seems that House Republicans, the primary backers of this bill, support States’ rights except when it comes to fair wages for workers. Then they support what’s good for the restaurant industry.
Instead of denying millions of workers minimum wage protection, we should raise the wage and expand the protection. The people who work in our restaurants, carry our bags, and clean our hotel rooms are work hard for a living and they deserve a well-earned raise.It seems that House Republicans, the primary backers of this bill, support States’ rights except when it comes to fair wages for workers. Then they support what’s good for the restaurant industry.
It seems that the congressman wasn't as clear as he could have been and his answer not as complete as it should have been. He finished with "So do you work for a restaurant in Philadelphia?" and dodged a bullet when the caller replied with:
Caller 3: No, Bensalem. I want to go into alternative lighting when I graduate from college. (confusing both the congressman and me) In New Jersey, using energy efficient lighting gets people an incentive - if they put energy efficient lighting in their project, they get an incentive from PSE&G. Does the government have anything like that going? That would provide incentive for companies to upgrade their lighting?
So you tell me - was this staged or did the congressman just get incredibly lucky? Either way, he was off the hook for a bad vote on a miserable bill, allowing him to go on and on ... and on ...
Fitz: Good luck with starting your small business. It's a great country and part of what makes it great is the ability for anybody to start a business and hire employees and grow a business and do the labor of your heart and something about your family. I'm one that believes that we should make provide credits for businesses that are innovative and certainly for businesses that are conserving energy. We use more oil than we should. We should be looking for ways to be more efficient. There are tax incentives on the books for businesses and individuals as well to use alternative fuels. (Now he's talking about a business in Northampton or somewhere in county that installs metal roofs - cool roofs.) You can get a tax credit as a homeowner if you install a metal roof. A business in Northampton attaches a solar panel to the roofs. You wouldn't even know they're there. Gov't provides tax credits for installing these systems. I'm a promoter of those kind of incentives. (Oh gosh, he is just filibustering this poor lightbulb guy.) I'm not particularly familiar with the NJ lighting credit but I'll have my staff look into it and see if the federal government can do the same thing.
Fitz: I'm Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick. If you want to ask a question, just press #.
Caller 4: Hi, Mike. Nice to talk to you. (This is another energy/environment question.) Can we get the coal burning plants in the midwest to use cleaner fuel. Acid rain is polluting upstate New York. Is nuclear power the answer? I can't remember the last time we built a nuclear power plant in this country.
Fitz: Or a refinery. Taxations, regulation and something else are really hurting the small businesses in this country. But it's not the environmental regs that are stopping refineries from being built, it's cost/benefit analyses. But you're talking about emissions from coal plants. Is your question "Has Congress addressed the cleaning up of those plants with the installation of scrubbers and technology like that?" I think the coal plants are burning cleaner than ever before. Mecury emissions will be on the schedule in September when we get back.
Caller 4: Exxon says that output was the same in 2005 as in 2004 but profits were higher. So it didn't look to me like they were trying to do anything about the supply side of it. And then there's China driving demand.
Fitz: People are complaining about the price of gas but they're driving just as much. I think there is interest in vehicles that get better mileage. But people aren't driving less. Those attitudes are built around cheap gas and good roads. But now gas is expensive and roads are (unintell). I saw that the President wanted to zero out Amtrak. I went on the floor of the house and introduced a bill called the "Ride Act" (?). (You get a credit for taking the train to and from work. His bill gives that credit to every American - not just employees of big corporations.) We should have a national debate on energy - efficiency, alternative fuels ...
Caller 4: I take the train to Philly everyday. I wouldn't travel any other way.
Fitz: He's talking about a rail line that doesn't exist anymore. We (the county - Fitzpatrick used to be a county commissioner) permitted SEPTA to shut down the Quakertown rail line. In Congress he asked what can we do to revitalize that line. The most efficient form of transportation we have in this country is steel wheel on a steel rail. (good line - very nineteenth century, very John Henry and railroads are sexy) We have to be careful about giving up dedicated rights of way that the railroads own because once they're gone, they're almost impossible to get back again.
Fitz: That was the XXX family. This is Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick holding a live telephone town hall. Next on the line we have the XXX family. (He's very good at moving the thing along. He'd be a good dj.)
Caller 5: What can be accomplished this year regarding the illegal alien, not the illegal immigrant, they invaded the country, I mean this is 10% of Mexico's population, and what do you think of the Minuteman, which I think the country is blessed with.
Fitz: There are two opinions. There's the Senate bill ...
Caller 5: Which was a disgrace.
Fitz: ... and there's the House bill, I'll tell you where I fall. I voted for HR 4437. The name of the bill is "Illegal Immigration," you called it "Illegal Alien" did you, XXX?
Caller 5: Yes I did. They come here illegally and take advantage of a lot of our services.
Fitz: Mmm hmm, mmm hmm. The bill I voted for tackles employers who hire illegal immigrants, strengthens border security, increases actual phsysical structures - checkpoints, the fence ... That's the bill I supported. We've all seen the facts and figures. There are perhaps, somewhrere between 11 and 12 million illegal immigrants in the country. Twenty years ago we did the amnesty thing but didn't secure the border. So we have to secure the border first before we address any other issue. That sounds like the approach you would prefer, is that right?
Caller 5: You are most assuredly correct. And what do you think of the Minutemen?
Fitz: I would call that self-help. If they're working with the border patrol, that's a good thing. I would call that volunteerism. Volunteerism makes this country great. Volunteers helped after Katrina. But we are a country of laws and volunteers (that's just cracking me up) have to abide by the border patrol's rules. The national guard is now training along the southern border so they're learning and helping at the same time. So I think that's all good.
Catch and release is a failed policy. And that policy has almost literally come to an end over the last couple of months, which is a good thing.
Caller 5: What do you think can actually be accomplished this year?
Fitz: On illegal immigration?
Caller 5: On illegal aliens, yes.
Fitz: There are two bills, the Senate and the House. They aren't as different as night and day but they come at the solution from different directions. We have to go to conference, where differences are hammered out. I hope that we'll have a bill to vote on before the end of the year.
Fitz: This is Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick. I have one time for one more question. But don't hang up. You'll be directed into my voicemail system to ask your question. Now we have the XXX family.
Caller 6: Actually you have a wrong number on your list. My name is (I didn't get it)
Recognizing that SE PA is a big deal for the pharmaceutical industry, what are your plans to retain our graduate students in the area so that they stay within our existing infrastructure?Fitz: When I was a county commissioner, I made Bucks County great to live and work in. Tax structure, regulatory structure, quality of life, big effort of mine was in land preservation. We've got great schools and great quality of life so many people want to live here. I preserved 10,000 acres. I put together a revitalization task force. I brought Lockheed-Martin to Bucks County from New Jersey. (He's off on a trip down memory lane) Now he's talking about how Bucks County is dependent on the health care industry. We do have a health care crisis in this country. (This is one of his biggest issues - never doesn't mention it.) We are letting doctor after qualified doctor leave PA. That's one reason why I support medmal caps for non-economic damages (pain and suffering). We need health care liability reform. I supported the bill that caps non-economic damages in states that don't have laws that do so. (I really hate that bill. I really hate that position. It's such a sham.) The trial lawyers are unhappy with me about that but ... (more boilerplate misinformation from the AMA and the insurance industry - I missed it. After the disingenuous mention of trial lawyers, I needed to take a quick break.)
Caller 6: We see a net exodus of talent out of the state so that's a concern overall.
Fitz: My younger brother wanted to move to Mannyunk because that's where all the kids were. But when people hit 35 and want to raise a family, you know what they're doing? They're coming back to Bucks County because it's a great place to work, raise a family and retire.
Caller 6: Thanks for your conversation, Congressman.
Fitz: Call me, Mike. (He never tells me to call him "Mike.")
Then he thanked us all for taking part in the new technology and the honor of letting him talk to us.
Here's my question, which I didn't get to ask live:
I appreciate your support of fair competition. I understand your interest in
allowing small businesses to band together to use their buying power to
get lower cost health insurance. Do you then support reforming Medicare Part D to allow the government to use its buying power to negotiate for lower prices from the pharmaceutical industry so that Part D is more efficient and a better deal for American tax payers as well as seniors and disabled people who use the plan?
Next time.
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