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QUOTE OF NOTE: "We can't put businesses out of business to improve people's quality of life, because then they won't have a job to support their families."
MAURICE HINCHEY (D) District 26 (South--Kingston; Binghamton; Ithaca)
BORN: Oct. 27, 1938, New York City EDUCATION: State U of New York at New Paltz, B.S., 1968, M.A., 1970 FAMILY: Wife, Ilene Marder; three children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: Navy, 1956-59 OCCUPATION: State employee POLITICAL CAREER: Democratic nominee for New York Assembly, 1972; New York Assembly, 1975-92; U.S. House, 1992- ADDRESS: 19 Chenango Street, No. 404, Binghamton 13901. Tel.: 607-773-0840
Winning by a narrow margin in his two House races, Hinchey may be too liberal for this rural midstate district. He supports strong environmental regulation, the pro-choice movement and AIDS funding. Opponent Sue Wittig is trying to exploit Hinchey's liberal soft spot, but he is counting on Ithaca, home to Cornell University, and the labor centers of Binghamton to send him back to Washington.
THE ISSUES Budget NO Medicare NO Defense NO Abortion NO Guns YES Gays NO Bosnia NO NAFTA NO Welfare NO Medical Leave YES (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "Let us not return to supply-side economics. Let us keep on a steady course, which is providing economic growth for all Americans."
SUE WITTIG (R) District 26
BORN: Nov. 2, 1954, New York City EDUCATION: Marist College, B.A., 1976 FAMILY: Husband, Ludwig RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Wallpaper-store owner POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: P.O. Box 778, Lake Katrine 12449. Tel.: 914-339-1220
Wittig, owner of Wallpaper World and host of a local cable-access show, The Washington Report, wants to apply her commercial acumen to legislation and attack the three threats to small business: taxation, litigation and regulation. In a district hit hard by IBM downsizing and where constituents worry about high taxes forcing companies south to Pennsylvania, Wittig's message has resonance.
THE ISSUES
Budget YES Medicare YES Defense NO Abortion YES Guns NO Gays NO Bosnia NR NAFTA NR Welfare YES Medical Leave NO (For an explanation of these issues, see the front of this guide.)
QUOTE OF NOTE: "The deficit is not high because we're taxed too little, it's high because we spend too much."
THOMAS FRICANO (D) District 27 (Suburban Buffalo and rural west--Amherst)
BORN: Jan. 2, 1940, Silver Creek EDUCATION: Erie County Technical Institute, A.A., 1959; State U of New York at Buffalo, B.S., 1975 FAMILY: Wife, Susan; three children RELIGION: Roman Catholic MILITARY: None OCCUPATION: Labor-union regional director; auto worker POLITICAL CAREER: None ADDRESS: 4455 Transit Road, Third Floor, Williamsville 14221. Tel.: 716-568-9697
Fricano began work at age 19 at a Chevrolet plant. Now on the UAW's International Union Executive Board, he hopes to make this race a referendum on the Contract with America, which he calls the Contract on America. Facing Bill Paxon, one of Newt Gingrich's lieutenants, Fricano has made hay of Paxon's vote against the minimum-wage hike. In this battle between labor and the G.O.P. Congress, Fricano has strong support despite the district's solid Republicanism.
THE ISSUES