By Erica Jackson
On Tuesday, November 2 voters are being asked to vote for candidates running in various elections. To help our readers to make an informed decision, we have compiled biographical information for each candidate. We have also asked each candidate three questions to respond to in their own words.
US Congress - 1st District
Tim BishopIn the race for US Congress, incumbent, Democrat Tim Bishop is running to keep his seat from Republican challenger Randy Altschuler.
Tim Bishop has served in the United States Congress since 2002. He is a lifelong Southampton resident, graduating from Southampton High School in 1968. He obtained an AB in history from Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA and has a masters in public administration from Long Island University.
During his tenure in Congress, Bishop says his focus has been on protecting middle-class families as well as “improving the economy, fighting for veterans, safeguarding the environment, strengthening access to education and reforming health care.”
Bishop and his wife, Kathryn reside in Southampton and have two daughters, Molly and Meghan.
As of press time, Congressman Bishop did not respond to election coverage questions asked by SmithtownMatters.com.
Randy Altschuler, a resident of St. James, Altschuler holds a BA from Princeton University and a MBA with
Randy Altschuler Distinction from the Harvard Business School. He studied in Vienna, Austria as a Fulbright Scholar.
Altschuler is the cofounder and executive chairman of CloudBlue, a provider of recycling services for electronic equipment. He is was also the cofounder and chief executive officer of OfficeTiger, which is a company that offers business support services.
Randy and his wife, Cheryl have a son, Noah.
What makes you uniquely qualified to sit as a representative in Congress?
In these tough economic times, I would have to say my experience working as a businessman; growing two companies and creating over 700 jobs for hardworking Americans. I’m not a career politician. I’m private citizen, who has private sector skills, a good dose of common sense and I know what has to be done to turn this economy around. We need to change the mindset about how the federal government does business. We need to end the reliance on higher taxes and increased debt as the way we fund government’s needs. We must come to the realization the big government’s addiction to spending is unsustainable and that it puts the economic well being of this nation is at risk. My opponent, incumbent Congressman Tim Bishop, is a career politician who has voted 125 times for higher taxes during his four terms in Congress. Someone who does that is obviously out of touch with the voters of Eastern Long Island. He doesn’t seem to understand that in the midst of an economic crisis you need to cut taxes, not raise them.
What would you hope to accomplish, if elected?
Perhaps one of the most important things is for Congress is to pass a balanced budget amendment. We have to stop spending more than we take in; government has to learn to live within its means.
To create a true stimulus package for the economy we need cut taxes, red tape and regulation, so the private sector can expand, creating jobs and opportunity for Americans. The voters need to understand that government cannot create jobs without creating more spending and placing higher taxes on the backs of its citizens. Only the private sector can create good paying, self sustaining jobs that will grow the economy
We also need to repeal ObamaCare and solve the healthcare mess with commonsense solutions like breaking down state barriers to make Insurance companies more competitive. Legal reform, so as to ease the incredibly high cost of insurance for medical professionals; a cost that in the end, is merely passed on to the patient. In addition, we must have twin efforts to cut waste and improve efficiencies so that quality medical care can be delivered at the lowest possible cost.
Name one thing that you would like the public to know about you?
I’m an outsider and a self made businessman who has earned everything I have and am not beholden to the political clubhouses or special interest groups. When I’m in Congress, my bosses will be the residents of Suffolk County and not the bosses of a political party. I will work hard to make sure that Suffolk County, our state and our nation grow, prosper and remain secure.