Tag: Senator Major John Boccieri(D)

Commemorating September 11

State Sen. John Boccieri released the following statement today on the seventh anniversary of the terrorists attacks of September 11, 2001:

“After seven years, the shock of September 11 is still with us, but America’s resolve is stronger than ever. We will never forget our brothers and sisters who lost their lives that day, or the selflessness of the first responders and everyday heroes who came to their aid – many of whom made the ultimate sacrifice themselves.

In the past seven years, Americans have come to honor those killed in the attacks by giving of ourselves for the strength of our nation. Today we express our gratitude to all who have answered the call to serve. Through service, we cherish the memory and preserve the spirit of those who were taken from us.”

To commemorate the heroism and sacrifice of America’s first responders today, Boccieri will present Canton firefighters with a United States flag flown into Iraq during a Combat Mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Schuring Bought by Big Oil, Corporate Executives that Slash 16th District Jobs

Canton, OH – 16th Congressional District Candidate John Boccieri raised $391,237.61 in the second fundraising quarter of 2008, bringing his total raised this cycle to $1,081,509.40 and his current cash on hand to $531,015.15.

Boccieri has a broad base of small donors. More than half of his contributions this quarter were $100 or less, and three in five of those small donations came from within the 16th District.

Schuring, who raised the state gas tax, has taken over $20,000 from oil executives, and fully two thirds of his funds this quarter came from big-money backers like Hoover and Timken who have laid off thousands of area workers within the past five years.

Senator Major John Boccieri(D), of Alliance, Ohio stated:

“I’m getting grassroots support from people who are fighting to keep their jobs while my opponent takes checks from the executives who are shipping their jobs away. The more people find out that Kirk Schuring is bankrolled by big oil executives and corporate job-killers, the more excited they get about our campaign. My supporters know that I’ll fight for lower energy costs, better health care, and the good jobs that our middle class families need.”

Cross-posted from OH-16: John Boccieri for U.S. Congress:

Senator Major John Boccieri(D) put his “boots on the ground” at a downtown Canton, OH, Sunoco station yesterday morning. His position on Energy Independence has been clear from the beginning of his campain:

Controlling Energy Costs, Creating Jobs, Protecting our

Environment

With the Middle East’s choices about oil supplies forcing many in Northeast Ohio to make tough choices here at home, it is high time to end our dependence on foreign oil.

For the last 7 years, George Bush has been ignoring the problem. John believes we shouldn’t be giving billions in tax breaks to big oil companies while they enjoy record profits. Instead John supports investing in new technologies and cutting edge businesses in Ohio, to create high paying energy jobs in our state.

John supports encouraging research to promote advanced domestic energy resources, including bio-fuels and clean-coal, as well as solar, wind and bio-mass. The new energy economy presents a great opportunity, not just to increase our energy security and produce cheaper, cleaner fuels but to grow businesses in our state.

Yesterday, 16th Congressional District candidate John Boccieri spoke with customers at a local gas station about the skyrocketing cost of fuel. He talked with them about the effect of rising gas prices on family budgets, and detailed his plans to provide relief. He worked his way across the lot talking to concerned citizens and doing a brief stint pumping gas before moving on to his planned press conference. Reporter Edd Pritchard of The Canton Repository, Schuring’s Endorsing Hometown Newspaper, was on the scene and brings us a pretty good take on the event here.

“Everything goes up because of the cost of gas,” Larry Lipley, an Alliance resident, told Boccieri. That means people are paying more for food and other necessities, while not buying other items, said Lipley, who works as a sales representative and drives 600 miles each week.

Pam Arbuckle, of North Canton, pumped $45 worth of gasoline into her minivan as she spoke with the candidate. “It probably didn’t even fill it up,” she said.

John Boccieri said:

“We need to focus on Midwest innovation, not Middle East oil. We could grow our own fuel here in the state, refine it here in the state, and lessen our dependence on foreign sources of oil.”

Further adding,

“Let me be clear about one thing, my friends. We are not going to drill our way out of this problem.”

He detailed his short-term and long-term energy solutions, including:

Cracking down on oil companies and Wall Street speculators who are artificially inflating oil prices.

Halting shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve – which have stopped as of today and will remain suspended through the end of the year.

Supporting fuel-efficient vehicles and fuel cell research at Stark State to boost the local economy.

Investing in biofuels that can be grown in the 16th District.

Building new local refineries to process biofuels and other cutting-edge fuel sources.

Creating an Apollo program to revolutionize our energy sources and free us from oil dependence forever.

More below the fold…

Boccieri noted that his opponent, Kirk Schuring, voted with convicted criminal ex-Governor Bob Taft(R) to raise the state gas tax, which had an initial price tag of $580 million and now places a burden of over $250 million per year on Ohio families. He pointed out that even top oil executives say expanded domestic drilling won’t yield a drop of new oil for at least 10 to 15 years.

In what was an obvious attempt by opposition to Boccieri’s plan, he made it clear where he stands on “Big Oil”. When asked what he would do to help oil companies afford more prospecting and drilling, Boccieri replied:

“If you want a congressman who’s going to stand up and fight every day to make sure that big oil companies quadruple their profits, then I’m not your guy. …If you want someone who’s going to stand up right here and fight for the people of this community who can’t afford to put gas in their tanks, then I want to be your Congressman.”

Oh, and trust me you, there were plenty of “ANWR Chanters” chiming in to disrupt the event. I’ll let a local Independent Blogger bring you up to speed on that distraction tactic.

At the end of the event, I pulled John Boccieri in for one last question:

Q: As I drive through rural ares of our District, I see field pumps setting idle. Is there a way to get these locals feeding the District to ease the strain created by imports?



A: The solution to the 16th District’s energy problems lay in alternative fuel sources. Look at places like the Rolls-Royce Fuel-Cell Research Building at Stark State.

I walked away with a chuckle of irony rolling through my head about John’s answer.

The Rolls-Royce Fuel-Cell Research Building at Stark State College of Technology is in Jackson Township, Stark County, Ohio.

Hmmm…isnt that where Kirk lives?