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| Rowland officially launches bid for House seat held by Slaughter |
| 2010-08-06 |
| Rep. Louise M. Slaughter never has had much problem fending off challengers during her almost 24 years in Congress. But Dr. Jill Rowland, a Buffalo dentist, vowed Tuesday to change that as she officially announced her Republican candidacy against the Fairport Democrat. "I'm running because, like you, I'm concerned about the direction this country is taking," Rowland told a small group of supporters gathered in an Elmwood Avenue office building. "Judging by the current administration, we are headed for very big problems." The matchup represents the first all-female contest for the House of Representatives in area memory. Rowland, 40, kicked off her candidacy with a strong endorsement from Nicholas A. Langworthy, chairman of the Erie County Republican Party, and echoed several "tea party" movement themes as she listed problems she sees stemming from the Obama administration. She seemed most opposed to the new health care plan passed last year. "When the Democrats go against the will of the American people and remove peoples' choices in health care and centralize it in a bureaucracy in Washington, we have problems," she said. She said it will force consumers to buy insurance plans they may not want and adheres to principles that government -- and not voters--want. "And this does nothing to protect the sacred doctor-patient relationship," she said. Rowland acknowledged the current health care system is "not perfect," but seeks reforms centered around plans that increase choice and put decisions "back in the hands of patients." She also proposes allowing patients to shop for insurance across state lines and enacting tort reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits. Rowland said other problems lie ahead as a result of policies favored by Slaughter, whom she took care to link to President Obama. She cited a growing debt concentrated in Chinese hands and spending patterns that she said will invite more debt and might put the country on the road to severe economic problems, like those confronting Greece and Spain. "President Obama, with the help of Louise Slaughter, wants to bring the same spending model to the United States," she said. Rowland was born on an Air Force base in Germany, where her father was stationed. She said she was a single mother just entering dental school when she was diagnosed with cancer, but completed her studies and went on to become a dentist. She lives in Buffalo with her husband, Timothy Votta -- also a dentist -- and their children. She also will run on the Conservative Party line. Slaughter would not respond directly to any of her opponent's charges. "It is a great honor to serve the people of Western New York," is all she would say. "I look forward to continuing my conversation with my constituents so together we can rebuild our local economy, protect jobs from going overseas and make the American dream accessible to all Americans." |
| Posted by:Fred |