Oct 9, 2007 10:20 pm US/Eastern
Hot Issues Attacked In Final 5th District Debate
by Jon Keller
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
The candidates for the 5th Congressional District debated for the last time Tuesday before next week's special election in what some are saying is the closest congressional race in Massachusetts in years.
Tax cuts were among the issues debated Tuesday night between Democrat Niki Tsongas and Republican Jim Ogonowski.
"Those tax cuts are worth about $4,000 to the average family in the 5th district. I don't know about you folks, but I don't have an extra $4,000 in my wallet that I want to send down to Washington for more wasteful government spending," Ogonowski said on tax cuts.
"In Washington, I will vote to reverse the Bush tax cuts for the 1 percent wealthiest of Americans who receive 33 percent of the benefits. That would bring into our coffers $300 billion," Tsongas said.
During the debate, Ogonowski and Tsongas went after each other on hot-button issues like immigration reform.
Tsongas said, "I am opposed to amnesty. I am in favor of tough border security. I support an earned path to citizenship, that is not amnesty. Those who are here will go to the back of the line. They will have to pay back taxes. They will have to learn English."
"Pathway to citizenship that my opponent suggests, they came here illegally," Ogonowski said. "That's amnesty. We can never reward people who come to our great nation by breaking our laws."
Tsongas has tried to paint Ogonowski, a local hay farmer, as indifferent to services for the needy.
Tuesday night, he tried to turn the tables by casting his opponent as hungry for taxes and benefit cuts.
"My opponent, Niki Tsongas, has said she would increase the retirement age, and just the other day she said she would increase payroll taxes. That's wrong," he said.
"I'm opposed to raising the retirement age, and I've said that consistently throughout this election, and I'd just like to remind you of that, Mr. Ogonowski," Tsongas argued back.
Polls in the race to succeed Marty Meehan show the longtime democratic seat is up for grabs.
Independent Kurt Hayes and Patrick Murphy and Constitution Party nominee Kevin Thompson drew applause at times from the crowd at the debate, which was co-sponsored by WBZ-TV's sister station, WBZ Radio.
Twenty-nine cities and towns make up the 5th Congressional District. It stretches from the Merrimack Valley to parts of Middlesex and Worcester counties. More than 600,000 people live in the 5th District.
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