Ann Marie Buerkle has no friends in Central New York Labor. On Monday, August 8, in front of the Hanley Federal Building in Syracuse, protests of Buerkle's Tea Party politics in Congress were underway. I got there at 4:00 pm, and already the crowd of about 50 was fired up.
Chants of " Buerkle, Buerkle, she's the worst. She puts billionaires interests first!" were ringing through the parking lot in front of the building. Signs with things like, "Buerkle is a job killer!", "Jobs not cuts!", and assorted other signs, were ever present.
The sentiment was pervasive: The default deal was a raw deal, and Ann Marie Buerkle can't hide behind opposing it for the wrong reason. The Republican approach to fixing an economy low on gas, or electricity - is to cannibalize the engine! Buerkle isn't satisfied with taking out the transmission. She wants to take out the pistons!
This was the description of the event at Syracuse.com:
Syracuse, N.Y. -- About 45 people, many affiliated with local labor unions, protested this afternoon outside U.S. Rep. Ann Marie Buerkle’s Syracuse office, criticizing her votes on Medicare and the national debt ceiling, and calling for higher taxes on the wealthy.
The 4 p.m. protest, organized by the Working Families Party, came as Buerkle and the rest of Congress began their August recess and followed Buerkle's vote last week against a compromise deal that raised the debt ceiling.
'Ann Marie Buerkle always talks about cutting taxes,' said one speaker, Gerald Lotierzo of Lysander. 'We’re for taxing the millionaires and billionaires and the corporations. They’re paying practically nothing.'