The Empire Page

Background: This is a continuation in a series of interviews we are conducting with people running for statewide office this fall.  Joe DioGuardi served in the House of Representatives representing New York's 20th congressional district from 1985 to 1989.

Empire Page: What prompted you to run for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Kirsten Gillibrand?

DioGuardi: Washington is addicted to spending and borrowing.  While Main Street suffers, Capitol Hill continues to spend money we don’t have, which forces us to borrow from countries, like China, that don’t share our values. These choices in Washington are dramatically affecting the bottom lines of all taxpayers as well as the entire Empire State economy.  New York cannot afford to maintain status quo.  Washington needs an experienced Certified Public Accountant to tell the truth about what is really going on, so that we can plan for the future and reduce our national debt.
 
Empire Page: You are one of several candidates seeking the GOP nomination. Why should Republicans choose you as their candidate in the September primary?

DioGuardi: As an experienced Certified Public Accountant, I not only know the grave problems facing this nation, but I understand how to fix them.  Send me to the U.S. Senate and I will bring professional experience and fiscal responsibility to stop those who are forcing apocalyptic levels of debt on our nation.  Moreover, since I am the only candidate on the Conservative Party line, I can unite the opposition to Senator Gillibrand and change the status quo this November for New York and for the American economy.

Empire Page: If you are the Republican candidate in November, what issues will you campaign on?

DioGuardi: Nearly 1 million New Yorkers are unemployed, and in June, the Empire State lost more jobs than every other state, but one.  Our economy is directly impacted by the decisions made in Washington, and without reform, prosperity in New York is threatened.  Senator Gillibrand has repeatedly endorsed legislation that increases debt and stifles growth, and she needs to be held accountable for those decisions.

Empire Page: You would not have supported the financial reform bill recently signed into law.  What are your objections to that legislation?

DioGuardi: The 5,000-plus pages of financial reform legislation created an expanded federal bureaucracy that will crush opportunities for American prosperity.  It simply creates an entangled web of red tape that slows job creation and business innovation.  Meanwhile, it continues to hide the real cost of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by keeping them off the budget, and it does nothing to end Washington’s addiction to spending and borrowing.

Empire Page: Immigration reform has been a problematic topic for several administrations.  What should the U.S. do about the 10+ million illegal immigrants currently living in the U.S.? How do we stop the flow of additional illegals?

DioGuardi: My parents came to this country, searching for the American dream – the opportunity to build a better life for their children, the opportunity to harness their entrepreneurial spirit and put together the life they dreamed of.  Legal immigration has always been the hallmark of our opportunity-driven society, but today’s bureaucratic system has disrupted the process, allowing millions to live illegally in this country while making it extremely difficult for legal residents to gain citizenship.  Our first step must be to secure our borders and to stop illegal immigration by effectively monitoring who is crossing into our country.

Empire Page:  Do you agree with the stimulus and other policies the Obama Administration has employed to try to fix our economy?  If not, how would you restore prosperity in NYS and the nation?

DioGuardi: The administration’s policies have produced massive spending legislation that forces us to borrow from countries that don’t share our values.  Meanwhile, these policies have yet to fix the actual problems that plague this nation.  If we want to put New Yorkers back to work, if we want to see economic recovery in America, expenditures on unproductive federal programs need to be cut.  We need to give business the financing and infrastructure it needs to create new products and new jobs.

Empire Page: What do you want voters to know about you as a person?

DioGuardi: I believe in New York, and I have confidence in the Empire State’s undeniable spirit of innovation. Throughout the history of this country, New York has risen from economic depressions, wars and attacks – each time emerging stronger than the last.  As one of New York’s two U.S. senators, I will make sure that New Yorkers have the freedom to once again climb out of a recession and grab hold of the American dream.  I am so proud to see my family’s American dream unfold.  My parents were immigrants; my daughter, Kara, is a prominent songwriter and a judge on “American Idol”; and I am running for the U.S. Senate.  Our country is truly amazing.