By Dave Renzi, State Senate candidate (R-Watertown)

Senate candidate Dave Renzi meets voters in downtown Oswego, and discusses his plan to bring jobs to Oswego County.

The most important issue on the minds of people in Central and Northern New York is job security, and what the slowing national economy and rising costs will mean to our family budgets.

That’s the message I hear from people I meet throughout Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties — the need to create secure and rewarding jobs has got to be our top priority. The problem is, Albany hasn’t yet gotten the message. When we need jobs, our elected officials in Albany give us higher taxes, red tape, and wasteful government spending that we can’t afford.

Taxpayers are tired of Albany’s excuses — we want results. That’s why I have put together a plan that will get results, in the form of better, more rewarding and fulfilling jobs that our communities need.

It starts by investing in people and businesses who want to invest here. My plan would give small businesses and manufacturers tax credits for every new job they create. That will lower the cost of doing business, so we can make companies more successful, and encourage them to grow.

My plan also seeks to take advantage of the increasingly important role of alternate and clean energy in the future of our state and nation. This region is already at the center of the “new energy” revolution; we need to encourage additional investment in projects like biofuel production and construction of a fourth nuclear power plant in Oswego County.

We must help farmers take advantage of the growing market for biofuel crops, and we need to make sure we have the trained workforce to fill the jobs we want to create. My plan includes incentives for growing biofuel crops on unused fields, and creation of a new degree program at SUNY Oswego to meet the need for more nuclear engineers and technicians.

The high cost of fuel is causing all of us to look for ways to save in other areas, including cutting back — even scrapping — long road trips and vacations. That creates an opportunity to introduce more travelers to the unique wonder and beauty of our region, and create good-paying, four season jobs in the process.

My plan calls for refocusing the state’s “I Love NY” tourism program to bring travelers from nearby regions to explore our area. A recent study found that we could double the number of travel-related jobs by merely matching the national average. That should be our first goal.

Bringing the rewarding and fulfilling jobs our region needs will take commitment and hard work, and someone who is willing to stand up and fight for them. I know the people of our communities are ready for the challenge, and so am I.

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Dave Renzi is a candidate for State Senate in the 48th Senate District, which includes Oswego, Jefferson and St. Lawrence Counties.

Oswego Harborfest has announced that the popular 50-50 Raffle to benefit Harborfest will return in 2009.

Farnham Family Services, an Oswego-based substance abuse treatment and prevention center, is now selling tickets for its 2009 Changing Lives Raffle.

As this column goes to press the 152nd Oswego County Fair should be in full swing at Sandy Creek. During the previous week the Heritage building was stocked full with many new and unique exhibits. We even brought down a piano for some live music!