OH-16: Lunch With John Boccieri At Pileggi's
Today, more than 50 supporters from across the district descended on Pileggi's Italian Cafe just outside of Canton, Ohio, to have lunch with John Boccieri, candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives for Ohio's 16th Congressional District,
The keynote speaker had been scheduled to be U.S. House Majority Whip James Clyburn, but we informed that he had been held up in Washington, D.C., awaiting the final vote count on Emergency Economic Stabilization Act Of 2008.
The guests weren't at all disappointed as they were treated to a "Boccieri-style" spread prepared by Sil Pileggio, Propriotor. The fare was a buffet of casual Italian food.
As we awaited John's entrance, friends new and old dined in Pileggi's warm atmosphere. Steven P. Okey, Alliance City Council At-large and Joe Carbenia, Canton City Council Ward 9 were among Boccieri's Endorsors on hand. I also encountered a couple that had travelled over from Massillon.
John enetered to a round of applause and mingled with supporters as they were finishing up lunch. As usual, he took his time, working his way around the room listening to voter's concerns and giving plenty of photo-ops to supporters who had not yet had the chance.
Thomas West, Canton City Council Ward 2, and strong Endorsor of John Boccieri gave the guests an introduction before Boccieri spoke. Below is short clip of what Tom had to say:
John started his stump with a few words about his opponent, stating:
"Quite frankly, Kirk Schuring is a nice guy, but the 16th District does not belong to Ralph Regula or Kirk Schuring. He's a nice guy, but this district doesn't need a nice guy...it needs a fighter! And every day I wake up in Washington I want to fight for your homes! I want to fight for your jobs! And, I want to fight for your families!"
He went on to tell a story about the "fallen and wounded" he had flown out of Bahgdad. Two soldiers, one had lost a leg and the other had a traumatic head injury, but was still able to stand. Boccieri was impressed with his valour:
"If he could stand up, it's time America for America to stand up! It's time for Ohio to stand up! Now is the time for Ohio's 16th Congressional District to stand up!"
I've heard John Boccieri on the stump many times, but today instead of shooting video, I chose to listen to my candidates promise of hope.
"If there ever was a place in the world, if there was ever a place in America, if there was ever a place in Ohio that needs change, it is right here in the 16th District! For the first time since 1948, the voters of this district have a chance to make that change!"
On a sad note, Congress capitulated on the bi-partisan Emergency Economic Stabilization Act Of 2008.
The legislation failed in the House by a vote of 228-205. Democrats voted 140 for and 95 against; Republicans voted 65 for and 133 against. That's 2:1 against America!
Stocks continued to plummet even as House members voted. The stock market fell 777 points on Monday, which exceeds the previous 721 point record set the day after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Majority Whip James E. Clyburn, D-S.C., said:
"60 percent of the Democrats voted yes, and 67 percent of the Republicans voted no. Do the math."
Clyburn said Republicans who opposed the bill "put political ideology ahead of the interests of our country."
There's still hope!
What: AFL-CIO Canvass Kickoff
When: Tuesday, September 30, 11:30PM
Where: Golden Lodge, 1234 Harrison Ave., SW
Notes: Help us spread John and the rest of the Democrats message and encourage voters to vote early. For more details, please email Chris at cccupples@yahoo.com
...and, don't forget to vote!
2 comments:
Respectfully, would you and/or Congressman Clyburn say Sen. Boccieri is unaware of/indifferent to his country's best interests as well, since he mentioned in the Canton Rep that he would have voted against the bailout?
Katie,
I won't speak for Congressman Clyburn or Sen. Boccieri, but I will be clear about a couple of things in regard to your question.
John Boccieri is neither unaware, nor, indifferent "to his country's best interests"; he has put his life on the line for our country. He, also, holds master’s degrees in public administration and business. His official statement follows:
"While a difficult vote, I believe the House’s decision today was the right one. The proposed bailout package did not do enough to address the housing crisis which, along with greed, is at the root of this meltdown. In my judgment, Washington was prepared to commit too much taxpayer money to Wall Street with too few safeguards to prevent this from happening again."
"Now it’s time for Congress to sit down and hammer out a bill that prioritizes immediate help for homeowners and reform on Wall Street. We need to act swiftly to keep people in their homes, limit excess and greed, put strong new safeguards in place on Wall Street, and find ways to provide short-term financial stability that don’t validate or bail out reckless lending behavior."
“It’s totally unacceptable that Wall Street would get a $700 billion blank-check bailout and all taxpayers get is the bill. I know people who have been fighting to hold on to their homes for months and years. I can’t support this sudden rush to rescue Wall Street until millions of American homeowners get the help they need to stay in their homes and protect their housing values."
“We shouldn’t be giving corporate CEOs the ultimate golden parachute, we should be holding them accountable for gambling away America’s wealth. And we shouldn’t be giving George Bush’s Treasury Secretary sweeping new powers with near-total immunity from oversight. We should stand up for the homeowners at the heart of this crisis.”
There is more HERE.
Thanks for you're comment and interest in this vital election for Ohio's 16th Congressional District.
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