OSWEGO – More than two dozen concerned citizens spent their lunch hour Friday (Dec. 8) holding an informational picket outside Oswego City Hall.
The group sought to highlight the cons of the proposed GOP tax plan.
Some, armed with signs, went into City Hall to see if anyone was working in Congressman John Katko’s office. No one was working and the office was locked.
Later, they patrolled the west side of West First Street to get their message out to pedestrians and motorists.
“The House and Senate are going to come together to try to work out the disagreements with the bill,” Legislature Tom Drumm told the crowd. “Our Congressman is on record as he is leaning toward ‘yes,’ he is supporting this bill.”
Katko votes with the president about 87 percent of the time, Drumm said, adding that, “I don’t know about you, but that doesn’t represent my interests.”
The bill goes after things like taxation on tuition vouchers, he said.
He has a friend who receives $30,000+ in tuition vouchers and probably makes $12,000 annually, he pointed out.
“Now, he’s going to be taxed on his tuition vouchers,” he said.
“They are taking out the deductions you can use if your home is destroyed by fire or earthquake,” one person said. “Now who do you think that affects? California?”
The 12 states most negatively affected by this tax bill contribute more than 40 percent of the GNP, a member of the crowd pointed out.
“So, the Republicans are shooting the whole country in the foot,” she added.
Fred Ringwald, of We The People of Oswego, Indivisible, said he and members of his group were taking part “because we are interested in what’s important to the people of this county.
“This man (Katko) is not representing his constituents. That’s why we’re here today,” he said. “We need to remind our elected representatives that it is about the people. They are there, working for us, representing us. And when they don’t, they need to stop working for us and we’ll do that at the ballot box.”
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So only your interests are important. You speak as if the only people that have an interest are the people you didn’t vote for Congressman Katko.
Old hippies, with older complaints.
Please vote yes for much needed tax relief Rep. Katko
I wish people would rally like this over the water/sewer rates around here…that’s a “tax” hidden as a “fee” and truly needs reform.
yes Mr. Katko, please vote to relieve the tax burden on billionaires and hedge fund managers based in the Virgin Islands … the rich have it too tough, what with record inequality and record corporate profits … let’s see if we can increase the gap between CEO pay and average worker pay even more!
Please Mr. Katko, serve the interests of your corporate donors at the people’s expense, it will make Republican voters so happy!
Come to the meetings, Michael, so we can hear what your interests are. We would like to know in order to hear the various opinions that are out there. We don’t bite– I promise!