Thank you to Brian Hollander for his article on the Schreibman/Tyner race (Kingston Times, June 14.) I think it made it clear that there are few, if any, differences in the candidates’ positions. Both candidates are progressive, so the question that Democrats need to consider is who can best beat the well funded Republican opposition. Nonetheless, attacks from the Tyner camp against Julian Schreibman continue relentlessly and grow more inflammatory and absurd by the day. The latest is from Jay Wenk in last week’s newspaper.
Jay begins with a long list of all the things that his candidate, Joel Tyner, “wants” and then claims that “Mr. Schreibman has different beliefs.” In these he includes protecting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, reinstating “FDR’s Glass-Steagall Act,” defending women’s reproductive rights and healthcare for all. Does he really imagine that a progressive Democratic candidate such as Julian Schreibman would be against any of these? So let me make it clear: Schreibman stands firmly for all of the above. However, the words “wants” that Jay repeats so often, is key, and brings up an important question: Would Tyner be able to be effective with people who do not agree with him, so that he can get his “wants” into action? I don’t think so. Julian is equally strong in his progressive convictions, but also has the leadership ability to bring many sides to the table, a crucial trait in Congress.
Once again Jay repeats the fracking canard that Schreibman “doesn’t have the facts.” Thank you to Brian for printing the entire quote from Julian’s WAMC interview in the article, from which the Tynerites extract four words out of context and repeat ad infinitum as “proof.” In fact, Julian has stated so often that he is against fracking that his jaw must be falling off. So let me repeat it yet again: Julian Schreibman is against fracking.
Most insidious is what Jay writes about Julian’s “war chest” from “sources like the Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Citicorp…” Here’s a fact: corporations cannot donate money to candidates; they can only donate through a PAC and the Schreibman campaign has received no money from corporate PACs. Jay then goes on: “I believe that the only contribution from within the district was $1,500 from a lawyer.” I, for one, am well within the district, and have donated to Julian’s campaign, as have many others I know in the district. So, did Jay just make this up or have Tyner supporters simply abandoned any semblance of accuracy in the interest of getting their candidate elected?
That Julian Schreibman is a “good old boy” is the most laughable of Jay’s accusations. Jay himself has been in politics for years. Does that make him a “good old boy”? Tyner sought the endorsement of the Ulster County Democratic Committee and lost, so he now claims that there is a “good old boy” network and Julian is at the heart of it. Sounds like sour grapes to me!
I am voting for Julian Schreibman because he is progressive on all the issues and has amassed a grassroots campaign that can win against a super funded Republican. He has the endorsement of the district’s Democratic Committees, unions (CWA and 1199), the Working Families Party, Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign. I hope he gets your endorsement as well in the June 26 primary.
Judith Simon, Saugerties
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