Gabby Watch

Once again, Giffords’ TV ads dance around the truth like a ballerina on stage. Her ad titled “Accountability,” is a blend of clever phrases, half truths, and rewriting history.

Just the facts:

·         “JAIL TIME FOR CEOs WHO BREAK THE LAW.”

Of course, CEOs who break the law should do jail time, just like any other law breaker. Although Giffords did write a letter to the Attorney General stating this obvious fact, she has not proposed legislation that would hold influential individuals to account.

o    In fact, Giffords’ actions don’t match her rhetoric. Her colleague, Congressman Waxman, who was in town for Giffords last week, has used his position to stall hearings on the financial crisis. Despite requests from other congressmen, Waxman has refused to hold hearings on how Countrywide, gave sweetheart low interest mortgages Senators Conrad and Dodd and Obama operatives Franklin Raines and James Johnson. If Giffords honestly wants accountability, maybe she should start with Waxman and her other Democratic colleagues.

·         “REINING IN WASTEFUL SPENDING.”

Giffords voted to spend money studying (amongst others): archives of Andean Knotted String Records, Sexual politics of waste in Dakar, Senegal, bison hunting on the late prehistoric Great Plains, and social relationships and reproductive strategies of Phayre’s Leaf Monkeys (Roll Call 289, 5/2/07). And, although Washington DC doesn’t have a single farmer Giffords voted to give Washington DC $10 million in agricultural assistance (Roll Call 417, June 18, 2008)

Giffords has also helped to hide the abuses of the earmark system. She voted against auditing the National Drug Intelligence Center, which is a pet pork project for Congressman Murtha (Roll Call 340, 3/11/07). US News and World Report called the Center, “A Drug War Boondoggle,” and is under investigation for travel abuse and cronyism.

·         “TAX CUTS FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS.’

Giffords opposed the Ryan Amendment that would have provided a one year extension of the alternative minimum tax relief that hits middle class families (Roll Call 211, Mar. 29, 2007). On the other hand, Giffords voted for a tax break exclusively designed for millionaires. This vote (Roll Call 922, 9/27/07) creates a tax break specifically for people with an individual or joint net worth with their spouse of $1 million.

·         “INCENTIVES FOR SOLAR ENERGY.”

While focusing on solar energy tax breaks as vice chair of the Energy and the Environment Subcommittee, consumers experienced record high gasoline prices. Giffords voted to block consideration of the America Energy Act, which would have helped lower energy prices by allowing increased drilling and construction of more refineries (Roll Call 562, Aug. 1, 2008). Before telling us how many jobs will come from solar energy in the future, maybe she should answer how many jobs are being lost by $4 a gallon gasoline.

I recently learned about a questionable land lease deal between Gabrielle Giffords and the City of Tucson and I thought the matter deserved more investigation. The property, located near 22nd and I-10, is owned by the Giffords family land management company and was leased to the city in 2000 for $160,000 per year for fifty-five years.

Although Gabrielle Giffords has claimed that she has not benefited from the deal, she is listed on the Secretary of State website as a manager (and as a trustee) of the company that leased the property to the City. In October of 2006 in a Daily Star news article, Gabrielle Giffords’ campaign again denied that Giffords benefitted from the deal and the Secretary of State records were in error. However, only two months prior to this denial Gabrielle Giffords filed an amendment to her financial disclosure statement to the Clerk of the House of Representatives, stating that she was indeed a manager of Giffords Management Group, the company that leased the property to the City. Subsequently, Gabrielle Giffords’ 2007 Financial Disclosure Statement discloses again that she is still a manager of the company.

The property was leased by the City in 2000 with the hope that a grocery store would be built upon it as a part of the Rio Nuevo Project, according to Tucson Community Services. However, the property was not within the Rio Nuevo district and the location had little strategic value. In fact, the location couldn’t even support Giffords’ company, El Campo Tire. Furthermore, no grocery stores expressed an interest in the property prior to the signing of the lease. Eight years later, the property remains vacant. Due to the poor location, no grocery stores were interested in building on the land and the prospect of a successful grocery store at the location is widely regarded as unfeasible. In the meantime, the taxpayers are footing the bill for the lease. The Giffords family will receive over $12 million over the next forty-eight years for the vacant lot. Using an estimate of 200,000 households in Tucson, the “Gabby Tax” over the remainder of the lease will cost Tucsonans about $40 per household.

Another interesting fact is that the taxpayers footed the entire bill to clean up the land, which was polluted with petroleum, asbestos and other contaminants. The lease that was signed put full responsibility for the clean up and improvements to the land in the hands of the City of Tucson. Some of the funding came from an EPA Brownfields grant and the rest was paid for by the City of Tucson. According to the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, two leaking underground fuel storage tanks were found on the property and were removed at taxpayer expense in July of 2002. The Giffords campaign claimed in 2006 that the land was not contaminated, but this was only made possible after clean up work was funded by the City and the EPA gave the property a clean bill of health.

On Giffords’ website, she lists a $47 million earmark she requested for the streetcar project from the University of Arizona to the Rio Nuevo district as one of her accomplishments. The only problem with this is that none of the track for the streetcar project is in her district. Perhaps the earmark was a way for Congresswoman Giffords to express her thanks to City officials for the $15 million her family received from them. This practice by our politicians of “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” is part of what I think is wrong with Washington.

Commercial reveals Giffords’ true voting record

“Giffords’ votes are hurting you”

Tucson, AZ – Congressional candidate Tim Bee’s campaign released its newest commercial exposing the incumbent’s true voting record and the dangerous economic fallout of her votes.

The incumbent’s record speaks for itself.

In August 2007, she promised to be “frugal” when using her franked mailing privileges. http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/195446

In May 2008, she was found to be the number one abuser of franked mail in the Congress.  http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/237424

Her $234,458.70 was quite a feat, outspending 434 other members of the U.S. House of Representatives that are notorious for their wasteful spending.

Despite overwhelming opposition by her constituents, she ignored them and voted for the nearly one trillion dollar bailout of Wall Street.  She promised taxpayer protections.  The reality is much different.  Reports already show major concerns. 

“The idea was that banks would use the money to start making loans again.  But reports surfaced that bankers might instead use the money to buy other banks, pay dividends, give employees a raise and executives a bonus, or just sit on it.”   http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/264214.php

Giffords record on economic issues is shady at best.  She was for the ineffective stimulus package earlier this year.  She was for bailing out Wall Street.  Giffords wants to raise taxes and force expensive mandates on Arizona’s economy.  That is dangerous policy.  Her past performance emphasizes that she is wrong for the job. 

And she now agrees with Barney Franks that we need to throw out concern over deficit spending.

Her plan to have the federal government borrower money to give to states isn’t very fiscally conservative.  They may have to kick her out of the “blue dogs”.    There is a reason that Tim Bee has received the endorsements of the United States and Tucson Metropolitan Chambers.  The same organizations that have given Giffords failing marks on her job performance.

“Giffords is wrong for Arizona.  On the major issues of the day, she has been wrong.  She was wrong on the troop surge, wrong on the economic stimulus package, wrong on small business tax hikes, wrong on the Wall Street bail-out.  The incumbent’s agenda is dangerous to our economic well being.  She is wrong for Arizona.”  Tim Bee.

Click here to see the new commercial “Giffords’ votes hurt you”

Copy

Gabrielle Giffords tax and spend votes are hurting you.

Giffords is the number one abuser of taxpayer-funded mail in Congress. (1)

Despite overwhelming constituent opposition to the Wall Street bail out. (2)

Giffords voted to use your tax dollars to bail out Wall Street. (3)

She voted for the largest tax increase ever. (4)

Raising taxes on senior retirement, struggling small businesses. (5)

Costing Arizona families two thousand dollars more a year. (6)

Gabrielle Giffords tax and spend votes are hurting you.

(1)        Giffords No. 1 in mailings using U.S. funds – Arizona Daily Star 05-04-08            http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/printDS/237424

2)         Giffords says 100% of calls to her office are against $700B bailout - Tucson Citizen 09-25-08                http://www.tucsoncitizen.com/ss/election/97692.php

3)         Giffords says she will vote for Senate’s new bailout plan – Arizona Daily Star 10-02-08             http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/byauthor/260502

(4, 5, 6) VOTED TO PASS A HOUSE BUDGET THAT PAVES THE WAY FOR THE LARGEST TAX INCREASE IN AMERICAN HISTORY.  Giffords voted on the FY 2008 budget that allows the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to expire (Roll Call 212, Mar. 29, 2007).

House Republicans tried three times in less than 24 hours to bring a bill (H.R. 2734) to the House floor that would make the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts permanent.  This included the death tax.  However, Giffords voted all three times to block H.R. 2734 from being considered by the House, thereby keeping a massive tax increase on track for when the tax cuts expire at the end of 2010 (Roll Calls 186, 192, and 194 votes on April 15 and 16, 2008).

(5, 6)    The Heritage Foundation, October 30, 2007

            http://www.heritage.org/Research/Budget/bg2081.cfm

Thus, the Democratic congressional majority has shown its hand. It intends to allow most of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to expire and plans to raise other taxes to balance the AMT fix. Over the next 10 years, the budget resolution would raise taxes by an estimated $2.7 trillion–more than $2,000 per household annually.

(5,6)     Investors Business Daily, 10/25/2007

• An increase in the capital gains tax rate to 19.6% from 15% for households pulling in over $200,000.

• A more-than-doubling of the tax on private equity firms’ carried interest, from the capital gains rate of 15% up to 37.9% — heavily penalizing one of the most effective ways for businesses to restructure themselves and generate jobs.

            http://www.investors.com/editorial/editorialcontent.asp?status=article&id=278203634543110&secid=1501

Inside Tucson Business endorses Senator Tim Bee

Support from the business community widens

Tucson, AZ – Inside Tucson Business endorses Senate President Tim Bee’s bid for Congress.  Citing differences in economic policy, ITB prefers Bee.

                “We found a difference on the economy. Giffords voted for the $700 billion bailout plan (plus earmarks) and is now campaigning that she will work to seek out and punish those responsible. As a freshman that’s asy to say. She wasn’t responsible but we’ll see how far she gets when the search gets too close to those in power, including members of her own party. Bee says he would have voted against the bailout.
                We share Bee’s view on that point and support his bid for election to Congress.” Inside Tucson Business, 10/24/08

Their endorsement joins the list that includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce.  In these challenging times, strengthening the economy is a top priority.  Senate President Bee’s record of accomplishment on economic issues overshadows the incumbent’s.  Bee built consensus in tackling the tough issues that matter most to Southern Arizonans:

• Spearheaded the largest tax cuts in Arizona history.
• Delivered the largest-ever funding increase for Arizona classrooms and teachers.
• Invested in Southern Arizona priorities such as Tucson’s downtown redevelopment, Pima County’s transportation needs, university programs that will create local jobs, and a regional trauma center and veterans home.
• Led the fight to appropriate $135 million over five years for the Science Foundation Arizona program and invested over $400 million in biosience research infrastructure and TGen.
• Enacted legislation that enhanced R&D tax credit; http://www.azchamber.com/policy/view_article.cfm?ID=34
• Arizona State Senator of the Year, Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry, 2006
• Arizona Manufacturers Council, Senator of the Year, 2008; http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2008/05/12/daily12.html
• Tucson Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce http://www.tucsonchamber.org/2008/10/01/endorsements/

While Tim Bee is receiving support amongst the business community, the incumbent continues to stockpile Union money, adding thousands from Union PACs in the final days of the campaign.  

The expensive mandates that these special interest groups demand from their politicians hurt economic growth.  The U.S. Chamber calls the Card Check legislation a “game changer” and will stifle the economy.   

Tim Bee ran a small business and knows that Giffords’ agenda of tax hikes, deficit spending and expensive mandates are dangerous.     

The incumbent acknowledges that the stimulus package she supported was a failure and that she supports federal deficit spending to stimulate the economy.  In October 2007, Giffords rhetoric included demands for “Restoring Fiscal Discipline to Washington”.  She demanded “Pay-Go”.    

The Associated Press reported today that the unintended consequences of the most recent bailout bill are troubling; the taxpayer protections and oversight that Giffords demanded aren’t in the bill.

                “First, the $700 billion rescue for the economy was about buying devalued mortgage-backed securities from tottering banks to unclog frozen credit markets.  Then it was about using $250 billion of it to buy stakes in banks. The idea was that banks would use the money to start making loans again.

But reports surfaced that bankers might instead use the money to buy other banks, pay dividends, give employees a raise and executives a bonus, or just sit on it. Insurance companies now want a piece; maybe automakers, too, even though Congress has approved $25 billion in low-interest loans for them.”

The incumbent’s track record on economic issues is troubling.  Tim Bee has a proven record with results and his plan will look beyond the shortsightedness of the incumbent’s.

Tim Bee believes that we must:

• Make the 2001 & 2003 tax cuts permanent.  Giffords has already voted to allow them to expire.  That would cost each family $2000 in southern Arizona.  The market is suffering now because the uncertain future of these tax hikes causes business to contract.
• Implement accelerated depreciation – it allows for firms to invest in capital equipment now, when tax benefits are greater than putting off expansion.  That means jobs.
• Lower corporate tax rates – America has the second highest corporate tax rate in the world.  Ignoring the fact that we live in a global economy and must compete for businesses will only further damage our economy.
• Temporarily suspend the capital gains and dividend taxes – spurring further investment in the markets.
• Lower tax rates on small business – Giffords wants to raise their taxes – that would kill jobs.  Small business drives the American economy – let’s not punish them.  Small business is cyclical.  One year may be difficult, the next may be bountiful.
• Let’s access our own energy resources – Giffords says she was for accessing them – the people can see through her attempts to portray her energy vote for anything but what it was – it was a sham – it cut off off-shore production.  We need to get our economy going by accessing our own resources instead of sending $700 billion out of our economy annually.  We need to unleash American ingenuity to create our next great economic boom.