Aubertine

Our region really is the state’s energy backyard from the nuclear plants in Oswego to the Moses Saunders Hydro Dam in Massena. We pay too much for energy because of decisions made over the past two decades, but I am working to bring those costs down.

This past week I was invited to attend a press conference at the Oswego Port Authority to discuss a Department of Environmental Conservation action intended to eliminate invasive species, but which instead threatens to shut down shipping through the St. Lawrence Seaway and into the Great Lakes.

Over the past 20 years, manufacturing jobs have declined, but with the right policies we can retain what we have and create new jobs for our future.

Putting people ahead of politics should be the mission of every lawmaker and elected official. After all, good ideas are not the exclusive property of one party or another. A good idea is simply a good idea.

Agriculture is the foundation of our economy. It’s on our farms, where wealth is generated and economic viability begins. It’s on our farms where we see hard work produces a commodity that is sold to feed our families.

The financial difficulties this state faces were decades in the making and there is a great deal of work that still needs to be done to control spending and reduce the tax burden so that our economy can grow.

At the forefront of many conversations is the need for good jobs, but with that, two factors in creating those jobs, property taxes and education.