Rapture's Over, Back to Business: Buerkle's Promises

Ann Marie Buerkle wrote a letter to the editor of the Syracuse Post Standard in December 2010 to thank the voters for participating in the election process and to assure us that she would be "accountable, accessible, responsible and independent."

We are approaching the five month mark since Buerkle took office, and Blueskygirl wishes to comment about her (Buerkle's) promises and her approach to her job since she was sworn in and missed her first vote in the new congress.

Accountability? Buerkle knows she may not have a chance at another term as she may be relegated to the dustbin of history after redistricting. There is some proof that this is reality as she is making no attempt to fundraise. 

Of course she knows, as she discovered last time, that wealthy donors, interest groups and secret "educational" groups will step up, and she knows she can depend on Boehner, Cantor, Romney, Palin, or whomever are the Tea Party/Conservative darlings, to show up or blog and tweet, or run dishonest TV ads, when she needs them. 

That is, of course, if she keeps on voting with her party, narrowly along party lines...which she will. She is batting .970 voting with Boehner, unswerving in her loyalty to the boss. Buerkle will always be looking upward and not back here when she feels the pull of loyalty.

Accessibility? Buerkle shows up. She smiles and blinks. She nods her head. She mumbles "uh huh" more or less at appropriate times. 

She has begun to answer constituent letters, more or less on topic but shallow as a muddy delta. She has already mastered the art of answering with generalities and not getting anywhere near the meat of the question.

She is a super meet n' greeter, happy to see the troops who show up to support her every word and hassle the people who want some answers. Does accessibility mean throwing a town hall meeting where your supporters like to openly intimidate the rest of the people?. If she had a bit of backbone she would caution those supporters to remember their manners. Where is the civility at Buerkle's town halls? She does little or nothing to encourage meaningful discourse, though she professes to want dialogue.

Responsibility? She has voted against decades of progress along party lines in DC. She has consistently voted to hurt schools. She doesn't ever mention that there are more poor people in this nation than there ever were before, and especially more poor children., She is responsible to the likes of Randall Terry, Sarah Palin, John Boehner, the Koch brothers, Paul Singer, Susan B. Anthony List, Lila Rose, and a huge cast of other ideologues and rich people. 

Independence? Batting .970 is anything but. Ann Marie Buerkle has no more spine than a jelly fish. 

Here is that letter to the Editor:

syr.com

Letter to the Editor:

December 14, 2010

To the Editor:

When I began my run for New York’s 25th Congressional District seat, I knew the race would demand more of me than any single endeavor I had yet pursued, but I also knew the effort was worth it to have the honor of representing the great people of this district.

The campaign was just the beginning of what I hope will be a successful and rewarding relationship with my constituents — those who voted for me, against me and didn’t vote. As your congresswoman-elect, I recognize my most important job is to represent the needs and best interests of the 25th District. I can only do so by building a strong, cooperative relationship with you.

I am grateful to all of my supporters for their hard work and enthusiasm. Thank you to all who voted for me. Thank you, all who voted, regardless for whom you voted. You may have disagreed with some of my positions, but your role as a voter is essential to maintaining a free society.

However, your civic responsibility doesn’t end in the voting box. Please come to the town hall meetings I will hold often throughout the district. Visit my congressional offices. Write me about what you want to see accomplished in Congress.

Thank you to the Congressman Dan Maffei for a strongly fought election and a gracious concession. Thank you to the Board of Elections commissioners and workers for their complete professionalism.

During the campaign I had an ongoing conversation with voters about the kind of representative I would be — accountable, accessible, responsible and independent. I am grateful and humbled by the trust placed in me by the voters, and will not take my role lightly.

Ann Marie Buerkle 

Member of Congress-elect
Onondaga Hill