Reform Candidate Will Simplify Tax Code, Help Small Business & End Regulatory Madness

KINDERHOOK, NY … June 9, 2016 — Leading up to the June 28 Republican primary, John Faso, the endorsed Republican, Conservative, Independence and Reform party candidate running for Congress in the 19th Congressional District, outlined his philosophy and plan to improve Upstate New York’s economy, bring jobs back to the region and change Washington’s broken status quo.

During a more than one-hour debate, sponsored by the Oneonta Area LWV and League of Women Voters of the Cooperstown Area, Faso cited how more than 1 million people have left Upstate in the last decade, in part, because of stagnant wages, job losses and exorbitant property taxes. He made his case on how to reverse this devastating trend.

“I’m running with a plan to simplify the tax code, grow small business investment and end the regulatory nightmare that burdens business and destroys communities. I know we can do this with the right policy choices,” Faso said during a debate at the Foothills Performing Arts and Civic Center. “I know this district. My wife Mary Frances and I raised our family here. We’ve lived the American Dream here. But for too many, the American Dream is slipping away. Nineteen trillion dollars in debt; $60,000 for every man, woman and child in America: Slow growth is killing opportunity. We need a dramatic change in direction in our nation. As your representative in Congress, I’ll work hard to bring the change we need. But change based on a deep understanding of this district, its people and its economy. I’m on your side.”

Faso also outlined his strategy and views on addressing national security, drug addiction, veterans policy and energy, among other issues.

View the LWV debate here.

This first debate between Faso and his opponent will be followed by another aired this weekend on FIOS1 News, and another to be held on June 16 and aired on Time Warner’s Capital Tonight.

The debates follow several polls that show Faso with a commanding lead in the race. A recent Siena Poll shows Faso with a 50-28 lead over Andrew Heaney. What’s more, the polls shows that Heaney has a large unfavorable rating and is generally viewed as running a negative campaign.

“Heaney’s job in winning the primary is considerably harder when he’s viewed unfavorably by a 16-point margin and Faso is viewed favorably by a 17-point margin,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said. “Additionally, while both Faso and Heaney commercials have each been seen or heard by two-thirds of the electorate, and slightly more voters say they’ve been contacted by the Heaney campaign, primary voters say Heaney is running the more negative campaign by a 36-20 percent margin.”

Faso is running to fill the seat now held by Congressman Chris Gibson (R), who is not seeking re-election. As a member of the New York Assembly, Faso developed and pushed proposals that led to real balanced budgets – including the first reduction in state spending in decades while closing a $5 billion deficit. He championed legislation that made a difference for tens of thousands of families such as the STAR program and education and real property tax reform. A former board member of the Rockefeller Institute of Government, Faso also served for three years as a member of the Control Board that worked to fix the financial and managerial issues of the City of Buffalo and its school system.

Mr. Faso and his wife, Mary Frances, a registered nurse, are the proud parents of two children. They have lived in Kinderhook, New York, for more than three decades.

John Faso (R-Kinderhook) is former Republican leader of the state Assembly and candidate for Congress in the 19th Congressional district. To learn more about Faso, visit johnfaso.com.

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