Jim Coufal
Jim Coufal

Constituents & Representatives

Long ago someone lost to memory told me, “define your terms, then we’ll argue.” Since this is about how poorly Claudia Tenney represents her constituents of the 22nd Congressional District, I’ll do that.
Merriam Webster defines a constituent as “one who authorizes another to act as agent”, said agent (ne: representative) elected by persons  who authorizes agent to act in their interest. There is an old saying in politics, crime, and elsewhere “follow the money“ and that’s where this piece goes next.
Federal reporting shows that in the first quarter of 2017 Ms. Tenney received $290,429 in donations. Of this, 65.3% came from Political Action Groups (PAC), while 34.7% came from non-Pacs. Included therein was $22,000 from banks, $25,500 from insurance companies, $12,500 from investment firms, and $12,000 from the housing industry. Only 13 upstate residents donated to Ms. Tenney. It’s interesting that Ms. Trenney serves on the House Financial Services Committee, which is charged with regulating the banking, insurance, and housing industries, which are her biggest contributors. Follow the money.
Another way of looking at this issue is to go to her election vote numbers. She received 47% of the vote, not a majority, while her democratic opponent received 40.4% and a third party candidate garnered 12.6%. Yet, “Vote Smart,” shows Ms. Tenney’s House vote to date is !00% party line, republican/ Trumpian. Is that representative of all her constituents? More important, is the republicans party representing the interests of the average person or the rich. No knee jerk reactions, please. Look it up.
I know during the first two legislative recesses during her tenure she went out of country, and have been unable to find where she was during the most recent third. This while many of her constituents requested a real, in district Town Hall which, which from personal correspondence she put off with a variety of excuses, most often being “We’re working on it,” which has gone on for 3 months. When asked to provide the evidence for some of her assertions, none has been forthcoming for 3 months, just the good old “We’re working on it.”
So, whose interests is she representing; her constituents or Trump, or the rich? I find she practices government of the rich, by the rich, for the rich (or substitute “Trump” for the rich).

By martha

2 thoughts on “COLUMN: From Here and Back Again”
  1. Follow the money indeed. Ms. Tenney certainly does not represent my interests as a voter in her district. Ms. Tenney’s campaign slogan could have been, “tax cuts for the rich above all else.”

  2. Claudia Tenney has NO intention of representing her constituents, she doesn’t even care enough to “pretend” she cares by having a Town Hall. She purposefully and arrogantly ignores her constituents and is ONLY out to SELL HERSELF and her own agenda. Claudia you are a DISGRACE to Upstate NY and to the very people you are PAID to represent!

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