Chenoweth Delivers The Goods With Ups She Hopes Workplace Visits Will Help Her Win Hotly Contested Campaign

In the bustle of a United Parcel Service depot, Rep. Helen Chenoweth was dressed in a brown UPS uniform, ready to accompany a driver delivering packages.

She was taking part in “workshare” - visits to places where people work - an activity she hopes will lay the groundwork for winning what could become a hotly contested congressional election.

“I really wanted it to be less of an appearance and more my understanding of what the business was all about,” she said later.

Chenoweth got a quick tour of the Garden City center this past week, then spoke for a few minutes with dozens of drivers.

She called a position with UPS “a highly coveted job” and contrasted what she said was the company’s customer-oriented attitude with the uncooperative attitude of service people in the East.

She didn’t get much response from the drivers until she mentioned that imposing a flat income tax could do away with the Internal Revenue Service.

“Right on,” one driver said.

She told the drivers 50 percent of the revenue the IRS generates is eaten by administrative costs. On that, she was off a bit.

The IRS provided figures showing that out of every $100 it collected in taxes, only 58 cents was spent on operations.

Another driver wanted to know if she was working on legislation to do away with overtime.

Chenoweth said she favors “flex time,” allowing a worker to put in seven or eight days in a row, then take four or five days off.

“I think it’s a good thing,” she said.

The questions were few from drivers anxious to get on the road, so the meeting was cut short and Chenoweth went out delivering packages with veteran driver Dale Fleischman.

“Dale had a lot of fun,” she said. He told customers, “‘I brought a visitor along.’ You could see the surprise in their faces.”

After an hour or so, she had to leave for a funeral, but put in enough time delivering UPS packages to businesses that she was named an honorary package carrier.

It’s something Chenoweth wants to do more of.

“I really would like to work incognito, but I don’t think I can do that,” she said.

Now the incumbent facing a tougher-than-expected re-election challenge, Chenoweth plans to use the same themes and tactics that carried her to victory over two-term Democratic incumbent Larry LaRocco in 1994.

“I still feel very attached to the voters out there,” she said.