Paul Tonko: New York's Top Double Dipper in the US House

By Bill Claydon

Cross posted on Red State

Career politician and freshman Democrat US House member Paul Tonko (D-NY 21) has a great income courtesy the taxpayers. The New York Daily News recently did a spotlight on US House members from New York State who are double dipping. In fact, Tonko is the clear winner, getting $64,641 annually from New York State on top of a base salary of $174,000 for serving in the US House. Tonko spent much of his career as an Assemblyman from Amsterdam, NY.

Maybe receiving a minimum $238,641 in tax money is why Paul Tonko had no problem enthusiastically supporting ObamaCare, which contains an unconstitutional mandate for every citizen to buy health insurance. These kinds of costs, expensive to the average citizen, are a blip on Tonko's double dipping radar. As one of the most liberal members of the US House in the entire country --- who has spent most of his career in elected office --- he does not seem to show much concern for the generational theft he has helped to heap on our great grandchildren. Of course, those are the great grandchildren that are actually born. Mr. Tonko is a rock solid vote in favor of the ability to abort innocent babies.

According to the article, even Democrat attorney general Andrew Cuomo has criticized double dipping.

As the lead double dipper in New York's US House delegation, Mr. Tonko should show us true leadership and consider doing his part to ease New York's fiscal woes. He should voluntarily pledge not to take his New York State retirement while serving in Congress. Consider this: If Colonel Gibson (challenger for NY 20, not the district Tonko serves) who spent a career putting his life on the line for our country, wins his congressional race he will have to give up his military pension while serving in Congress. The fact that Mr. Tonko happened to be a career politician at the state level while Colonel Gibson was on the federal payroll while serving our country is a rather trivial distinction.

Mr. Tonko's opponent, Ted Danz, built a career running his own successful business. He understands what it means to make a payroll, to worry about budgets, etc. He is not able to draw on the taxpayers as Mr. Tonko does. If Danz makes a mistake, he sees the cost firsthand. If Mr. Tonko votes for a mistake, taxpayers like Danz see the cost. In fact, mistake or not, taxpayers see the cost of all of Mr. Tonko's votes.