Interview with Congressman Chris Gibson

Congressman Chris Gibson was recently sworn in as Huletts Landing’s new congressional representative. I thought he would be an interesting person to interview, so I contacted his staff and they were able to accommodate my request. Today, I had a chance to interview Congressman Gibson by phone. Below is my interview with him.

The voters spoke very loudly on November 2nd. What would you say is the message they wanted to convey by electing you?

“I think the message the voters wanted to send was really quite simple, and I break it down into three categories:

1.) They want the focus to be on creating jobs. They want Congress to be empathetic to those who create jobs and they want the impediments to growth removed. The election was also a clear repudiation of health care reform.

2.) They want to balance the budget and rein in spending.

3) They want to protect our freedom. They know that the United States is different. We’ve always been the “land of the free,” and they want the United States to stay this way. This protection not only means from foreign enemies, but it also goes deeper in that they want protection from laws that take away our freedoms.

I must also say that the election was a testimony to the over 1200 volunteers who worked so tirelessly to bring about this result. We overcame a significant spending disadvantage because so many volunteers knocked on doors, made phone calls, and spoke to neighbors.”

For the record, what committees have you been appointed to and what are the important things that these committees will be doing over the next few months?

“I have been appointed to two committees; Agriculture and Armed Services.

In regards to Agriculture, I may be biased, but I believe the farmers in the district are the hardest working, most honorable farmers anywhere. Their issues regard profitability. Taxes, regulations and healthcare costs are driving their profitability way down. I have spoken to Chairman Lucas of Oklahoma and, during the next 6 months, the committee will conduct oversight hearings into the impediments farmers face. We are going to look at how specific EPA regulations are affecting farmers. I love to go for climbs in beautiful bucolic upstate New York. However, I think we can all agree that “spilled milk” is not “spilled oil.” The EPA now wants to regulate dust levels on farms. This is part of life, and these regulations are now completely out of balance. We’re going to be looking at these things over the next 6 months.

Looking beyond that, the Agriculture Committee will be doing the Farm Bill Reauthorization in 2012, and I’ll be reaching out to farmers throughout the 10 counties that the 20th District covers to see what advocacy they need. I’ll have an advisory committee made up of farmers from every county in the district to hear their concerns.

In regards to the Armed Services Committee, there are three issues that we’ll be looking at closely. First, we’ll be conducting oversight to support of the wars we’re involved in, while also bringing these wars to a rapid and successful conclusion. Secondly, we’ll be having hearings on the existential and ongoing threat posed by al-Qaeda. We have to always protect our cherished way of life here in the United States. Finally, we have to look 15 to 20 years from now and see that our military is organized in a way consistent to a Republic. We are not an empire, and our military needs to reflect the characteristics of our Republic.”

Now that the House has voted to repeal Obama-care, what are the next votes you would like to make after the repeal vote?

“I would like to vote quickly on two measures. The first one is one I have co-sponsored called the “REINS” Act. Any time a bureaucratic agency makes a new federal regulation that has an annual cost to our economy of $100 million or more, that regulation needs to go to the Congress for an up or down vote. Right now a lot of people are frustrated by agencies that have no accountability. Congress sends them letters but they’re not accountable. If a regulation is going to place costs on our society, why not have Congress vote on it? I think it’s a good idea and I would like to see it voted on quickly.

The next vote I would like to see is a repeal of the 1099 requirement for small business. We need to repeal this requirement and get it to the President’s desk quickly.”

The citizens of Washington County are toiling under some very burdensome property taxes right now. Medicaid is the largest driver in the growth of state spending and new federal mandates will expand Medicaid eligibility. What will you try to do on the federal level to help rein in these costs and help taxpayers toiling under such a heavy burden?

“To begin, we need to repeal the current health care law and replace it with a more patient-centric option. The current law is going to drastically increase Medicaid enrollment. We also need to have comprehensive medical liability reform. It’s an issue where health care impacts property taxes because the states pass it down to the counties.”

Your military service to our nation is well documented. What have we done well in Iraq and what should we be concentrating on doing to win in Afghanistan?

“That is a very good question. To begin, we need to look at why we succeeded in Iraq. The reasons are all inter-related and the individual reasons can’t be isolated from each other. But I would say there were three reasons why we succeeded in Iraq. To begin, we committed the resources to win the fight against the insurgency. This began to allow the civil institutions to take root. Secondly, the Suni’s realized that it was in their best interests to work through the institutions of civil society and the government began addressing legitimate Suni concerns. Finally, the joint special operations task force targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq, and the people really began to see a clear distinction. There were areas in Iraq that al-Qaeda controlled and the people saw what that would bring. For instance al-Qaeda controlled the Dil’al river valley and they instituted Sharia law there. This brought with it things which people abhorred. Cutting off people’s fingers who smoked, making 14 and 15 year old girls join harems. Stuff that gave the people a clear choice: you could stand with the government or stand with al-Qaeda and the people turned against them.

Going forward in Afghanistan, there are some things that are similar and some things that are different. To begin, Iraq had a middle class and some sense of nationalism. We need to train the Afghanistan security forces and partner with them to help them secure their country. They will have to be responsible for their own security at some point. We have to also cultivate civilian agencies to build efficacy and legitimacy and the government has to implement strong anti-corruption measures. It’s a fight that can be won and Iraq, in some ways, can serve as a guide.”

Finally, I would like to extend an invitation for you to visit Huletts Landing sometime during the summer. Please feel free to bring your family and stop by for a visit.

“Please tell everyone that I have heard so much about beautiful Huletts Landing and I will really try to stop by in the summer.”

Bits of Everything

High Voltage Cable Inspector: Shock Video

Don’t want to be electrocuted? Make sure you’re not grounded. This is a great video which shows the life of a high voltage cable inspector. You’ll have to click the link because embedding is disabled.

Road Salt Toxic to Adirondacks

Looks like there is more evidence of the harmful environmental effects of road salt, the Adirondack Almanack reports. Once again, true environmental protection has nothing to do with taking people’s private property rights away.

Court Rules Class Action Against Washington County Can Move Forward

The Post Star reports on a potential liability for Washington County.

Have a Good Outdoor Story? Tell the DEC

The Adirondack Almanack reports on a fun contest.

Bits of Everything

10 Adirondack Weather Disasters

Adirondack Life has an interesting article on the Adirondack’s worst storms.

Beets No Salt

WNBZ reports that the NY State Thruway is going to experiment this winter with a de-icing material made out of sugar beets and brine.

Grant Money for Lake George Delta

Warren County heard that they are the recipient of a state grant to clear a delta in Lake George. Read the Post Star.

Author Details Gruesome 1973 Spree


Hadley-Luzerne Public Library
Oct 26, 2010 @ 7:00 PM
Guest Speaker: Lawrence P. Gooley

Terror in the Adirondacks: The True Story of Serial Killer Robert F. Garrow presented by author, Lawrence P. Gooley. It’s an incredible story and Mr. Gooley will be sharing his recollections of this harrowing period of Adirondack history. He has written a top selling book that for the first time ever tells Robert F. Garrow’s story from birth to grave. In the summer of 1973, a serial killer’s rampage in the Adirondack Mountains changed the region forever. Innocent visitors and campers were brutally killed, terrifying thousands of residents and vacationers.

Funding provided by the Town of Lake Luzerne and Warren County Visitors Occupancy Fund. For further information call 696-3423.

Bits of Everything

Transfer Stations Could Be Cut?

The Post Star reports on Washington County’s planning regarding their transfer stations.

Campers Organize

The Lake George Mirror tells us that island campers have formed their own advocacy group to protest the proposed garbage rules on Lake George islands.

Lake George Beach Closed by Fuel Spill

Shepard Park has had a rough go the last two years. A fuel spill closed the beach according to the Post Star (with video).

How Does Colorado Compare to the Adirondacks?

The Adirondack Almanack has a great post on how Colorado is different from the Adirondacks.

Bits of Everything

Supermarket Turndown to be Reconsidered

The Wash Blog reports on Whitehall’s bad decision.

We Love Soccer, You Love Soccer, They Really Love Soccer

Google has sponsored a contest entitled: Doodle 4 Google – “I Love Soccer”. Children of 17 countries have designed the Google logo around the theme “I Love Soccer”, for the Doodle 4 Google competition. Each country choses one national winner. Now it is time for you to pick your favorite doodle to be the international winner of “I Love Soccer”. The winning doodle will be displayed internationally on the Google home page in all participating countries for a day, for millions to see. To see the finalists and vote, go here.

Few Women Work in Rock Climbing

The NY Times recently did an article on why so few women work as professional rock-climbing guides.

Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha


A marble statute of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha in the the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, DC.

June 22, 1980 was the day that Kateri Tekakwitha was beatified by Pope John Paul II, and as such she is referred to as Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha within the Roman Catholic Church.

Who was Kateri Tekakwitha and what is her historical significance? Here is a condensed version from online sources.

Kateri Tekakwitha was the daughter of a Mohawk chief, Kenneronkwa, and a Catholic Algonquin woman, Kahenta, and was born in the Mohawk fortress of Ossernenon near present-day Auriesville, NY. Her mother was baptized and educated by the French like many of the Abenaki but was captured there at the start of a war with the Iroquois and taken to Kenneronkwa’s homeland. When Kateri was four, smallpox swept through the tribe, and Tekakwitha was left with unsightly scars on her face and poor eyesight. This outbreak took the lives of both her parents, Kahenta (Flower of the Prairie) and Kenneronkwa (Beloved) and her brother. She was then adopted by her uncle, who was a chief of the Turtle Clan. As the adopted daughter of the chief, many young men sought her hand in marriage, in spite of her disfigured face. But she realized that this was only for political purposes and was disgusted by the idea of marriage. However, during this time she began taking an interest in Christianity. Her mother was Christian and had given Kateri a rosary but her uncle had taken it away and encouraged her not to become Christian. She was headstrong and decided that since she was cast away from Mohawk society, she would join another.

In 1666 Kateri’s clan settled on the north side of the Mohawk River, near what is now Fonda, NY. While living here, at the age of 20, Tekakwitha was baptized on Easter Sunday, April 18, 1676 by a Jesuit priest. At her baptism, she took the name “Kateri,” a Mohawk pronunciation of the French name “Catherine”. Tekakwitha literally means “she moves things.”

Unable to understand her zeal, members of the tribe often chastised her, which she took as a testament to her faith. Kateri exercised physical mortification as a route to sanctity. She would occasionally put thorns upon her mat and lie on them, all the while praying for the conversion and forgiveness of her kinsmen. Piercing the body to draw blood was a traditional practice of the Hurons, Iroquois as well as the Mohawks. Kateri believed that offering her blood was in imitation of Christ’s crucifixion. In this, Kateri was just continuing traditional tribal ways. She changed this practice to stepping on burning coals when her close friend, Marie Therese, and her confessor expressed their disapproval. Because she was persecuted by her Native American kin, which included threats to her life, she fled to an established community of Native American Christians in Kahnawake, Quebec, where she lived a life dedicated to prayer, penance, and care for the sick and aged. In 1679, she took a vow of chastity, as in the Catholic expression of consecrated virginity. A year later, on April 17, 1680, Kateri died at the age of 24. Her last words are said to be, “Jesus, I love You!”

Tradition holds Kateri’s scars vanished at the time of her death revealing a woman of immense beauty. It has been claimed that at her funeral many of the ill who attended were healed on that day. It is also held that she appeared to two different individuals in the weeks following her death.

The process for her canonization began in 1884. The first miracle attributed to her intercession was a case where bad facial ring worms were miraculously cured. She was declared Venerable by Pope Pius XII on January 3, 1943. She is the first Native American to be so honored in the Roman Catholic Church, and as such she holds a special place of devotion among the aborigines of North America. Devotion to Blessed Kateri is clearly manifest in at least three national shrines in the United States alone, including the National Kateri Shrine in Fonda, New York, the National Shrine of the North American Martyrs in Auriesville, New York, and the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

Bits of Everything

Support the Huletts Post Office

The Washington Post details a GAO report that endorses postal cuts.

“Lawmakers also should consider establishing a panel similar to the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Commission to independently recommend changes, the report said. Auditors, however, also suggested that more details are needed about potential delivery cuts and post office closures.”

Remember stamp and postal purchases in Huletts Landing, support the operation of the Huletts Post Office.

Leave the Firewood Home

North Country Public Radio details the DEC’s attempts stop wood infested with invasive insects from entering the Adirondacks.

Albany Still Waiting on Giants

According to the Giants Football Blog, NY Giants CEO John Mara, is still waiting to make an announcement regarding summer camp at the University of Albany.

Bits of Everything

Police, Feds Raid Whitehall Business

The Post Star has an interesting story about a local store.

Bald Eagle Now Healthy, Takes Flight

The Adirondack Journal has a heartwarming story here.

Time Travel Possible Says Famed Astrophysicist

Keep you eyes out for time travelers but to understand the theory read here.

NY Giants to Return to Albany? Maybe

The NY Giants issued a press release regarding their summer camp in Albany and then quickly amended it. Train-a-Thought Blog explores it.

Bits of Everything

Eastern Woods Return / Face New Threats

The Washington Post had a good article documenting the historical changes to eastern forests over the last 400 years and some modern threats that they face. One might not think that deer pose a threat to the forest, but as this video points out, they eat most of the young saplings.

Blight in Whitehall, New Ideas in Lake Luzerne

I missed this Post Star article from a few weeks ago. Here’s what another local town is doing.

Christopher Llyod Coming to Vermont in Late August

This might be worth seeing. The Rutland Herald reports on the Back to Future actor playing Willy Loman.

Bits of Everything

Adirondack Life’s Photography Winners

Every year the magazine, Adirondack Life, holds a photography contest. See this year’s winners here.

NY Has Room to Cut

The NY Post had an article and graphic which shows that there’s plenty of fat to cut from the NY state budget. There just doesn’t seem to be the will in Albany.

One Big Shredder

This reminded me of the the compactor at the recycling center. Instead it’s a shredder.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aja7gcgRMJU

Maple Season Almost Over


These maple taps, attached to trees near Pike Brook road, are almost finished producing syrup for this year.

Some people may not realize that there are many small producers of maple syrup right here in the Town of Dresden. If you go for a ride toward Ticonderoga or even down Pike Brook road, you will see the taps attached to the trees and the syrup flowing in plastic lines down to bigger drums where it is collected to be heated.

This season is almost over because of the warmer weather and the buds appearing on the trees. (Once the buds appear, the syrup gets a bitter taste to it.) However, I took a ride recently and here were some taps that I could see right from the road.

So the next time you have your pancakes, you might pause and consider that your syrup might have come out of some trees in Dresden!