Sunday November 5th, 2006-
2 days to go! Today we were out scrambling for any votes that may still be out there. I started with the time honored tradition of the Candidate's Breakfast at Temple Beth-El in Utica. The congregation at Temple Beth-El recently merged with the congregation at Temple Emanu-El and the event was held at the Emanu-El campus. This year had a special feel to it because of all the hotly contested races. It was also an opportunity for us to honor outgoing Congressman Sherry Boehlert who was in attendance. After the breakfast I hit the streets, going door to door in Whitesboro and Sherrill. I am starting to get the feeling that many people are ready to cast their ballots. I think the amount of advertising and news surrounding the various campaigns is getting to be too much. I am trying to be sensitive to that as I try and get my message out. If you have had enough, I understand. Rest assured we are almost there.
Saturday November 4, 2006-
3 days to go! We had a busy day today, starting with a door to door literature blitz in my hometown of Rome, NY. We hit over 1,500 homes with our information and I can't thank enough my loyal supporters who gave up their morning for me. So many of you have been there for every one of my campaigns and it is because of you that we will be successful on election day. After the morning blitz, I made my way up to Forestport where we met up with Congressman John McHugh who announced a new project. It was good to see the people of Northern Oneida County as we get closer to election day.
Saturday October 28, 2006
Today was a terrific day in Lewis and St. Lawrence Counties. We started at 8am in Rome and headed out for a full day of meeting with Voters in Lowville, Massena and Potsdam. The weather was rainy, windy and cold, but the energy of our volunteer corp of 14 made the day fly by. Our volunteers flooded the community with campaign literature while my wife Lorraine and I went door to door in each community.
While we were up north we had dozens of volunteers in many Oneida County communities were doing the same thing and our behalf. Thanks to those in New Hartford and Whitestown who were getting the message out about lower property taxes and reform. We have a little more than a week until election day and I am excited about the momentum our campaign has.
Thursday October 26, 2006
Today we met a number of terrific people visiting senior citizens centers in Utica and going door to door in East Utica. It was another cold night in Utica and it got me thinking about campaigns in Upstate New York. They start out in the heat and humidity of June and July, it turns to the mild fall and ends on the doorstep of winter. I would not be surprised, if before election day we see some snow.
Wednesday October 25, 2006
Tonight we had a very nice exchange of ideas with the people of Massena at the annual Greater Massena Chamber of Commerce debate. I was the only candidate in the 47th Senate District to participate. I hope the voters will see that I am committed to their needs and will work hard for them every single day in Albany.
Tuesday October 24, 2006
I was disappointed to find out today that our upcoming debate sponsored by the League of Woman Voters and WUTR has been canceled. Two of the nominated candidates, including my Democratic opponent, decided not to participate and therefore the League decided to cancel the forum. It is too bad that voters won't get the chance to hear all of our ideas to move our region forward. I strongly believe that debates are a good way for the public to learn more about the people they plan to cast a ballot for. Tomorrow, I plan to head up to Massena where the Chamber of Commerce will hold another forum. I hope that each of the candidates are there so we can talk about the future of this important village in St. Lawrence County.
Friday October 20, 2006
Today we were honored to have Lt. Governor Mary O. Donohue in town to announce the decision to consolidate a number of high tech data centers and build one major center to Marcy. This project will bring as many as 200 high tech, good paying jobs to the 47th Senate District. The more high tech business development that we can bring to our community the better off our future will be. It is my hope that this project will lead to more opportunities to our region.
Thursday October 19, 2006
I had the real pleasure of heading up to Wanakena to the SUNY ESF Ranger School on Star Lake. The School has a rich tradition of training some of the State's finest forest rangers that help to protect our natural resources. The challenges of this sparse community are great. My Democratic opponent and I had a lively discussion about these challenges and what we as their potential future representatives can do to help. My pledge is to do everything I possibly can to be there and connect you with the state resources that are available.
Friday October 6, 2006
Yesterday, I was pleased to announce my proposed budget for Oneida County. I am happy to say that thanks to the good work of our department heads and a commitment to fiscal conservatism we will release another budget without a tax increase. You can find all the information connected to the budget on the County's web site: www.ocgov.net. Many of my critics across the isle have dubbed this an "election year" budget. They have not taken a clear look at my over 15 years of public service. As a chief executive I have offered up budgets with no property tax increase 85% of the time and have held property tax increases under an average of 1%. I understand the burden of property tax. As your Senator, I will take the same fight I have waged here in this community to Albany.
Tuesday October 3, 2006
Today we were fortunate to have a major win in the fight against the proposed power line project. Governor George Pataki signed a bill prohibiting eminent domain to be used as a way to gain access to land where the power line can be built. While this does not end our fight, it does make NYRI's efforts that much more difficult. We need to continue to be dilligent. I promise to not stop fighting until we are sure this power line will not be built in our backyards.
Saturday September 30, 2006
Today was a perfect fall day in Central New York. We had the opportunity to visit with hundreds of people at the annual Camden Homecoming Parade. This event is a wonderful tradition that I have been part of many times. Today was especially fun because I got to march with my wife Lorraine who is 5th grade teacher in the Camden School district. It is fun to see her interact with the many children and families that she has had an impact on in the community.
Friday September 28, 2006-
Today I spent the day in St. Lawrence County for two important meetings. The first was a hearing by the New York State's Economic Development Corporation's Temporary Commission on Power Programs for Economic Development. The purpose of this commission is to examine the usefulness of State Programs that provide low cost power to generate jobs and industry. There are many people who fear that the examination of these programs could mean that low cost power which is now available to companies like General Motors and Alcoa could be in jeopardy. We must do whatever we can to make sure this does not happen. Representatives from many companies spoke about how cutting these programs will make it almost impossible from them to continue to operate in the North Country. This problem is rooted in the fact that New York must develop a comprehensive energy policy. Downstate politicians want to take our low cost power for their own needs. New York must develop power generation options closer to the source of the need. We should not have to solve their problems. Many years ago, the State made a deal with our region, promising low cost power in exchange for access to the St. Lawrence Seaway (among other things). They need to continue to make good on that deal.
I felt fortunate to be the first person to testify at the hearing to voice my support for the people I look forward to representing in a few months.
After the hearing I met up with an old friend who is supporting my campaign. Former Postdam Mayor and current Village Trustee Ruth F. Garner. I am excited the Mayor is supporting me. She is of course a Democrat and I am a Republican. She is one of many Democrats who are helping to elect me the next State Senator. I feel so fortunate to have her on my side. Mayor Garner and I worked together during the ice storm of 1998 when I was the Mayor of Rome. With all of her Village Municipal services taxed beyond belief, I called her up and asked if Rome could help. We sent a number of our DPW crews up to Potsdam to help get everything back on track. It was a pleasure to pitch in and the people of Postdam should be proud even today about the way they rallied together as a community during such a tough time.
Thursday September 27, 2006-
I spent today in Lake George where my colleagues at the New York Association of Counties elected me to their board of directors. It is a true honor to be given the trust of your peers on an important board like this. I have also been honored to serve as the President of the New York Conference of Mayors and on the executive board of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Monday September 25, 2006-
I am sorry, I've been a bit behind on the 47th blog. I am back engaged and will continue again to keep you up to date on what is happening on the campaign trail. We are only about 6 weeks away from election day so every day counts!
Thursday September 14, 2006
Today marks the second stage of the campaign and we don't plan to waste anytime. We started the day in Lowville where we had a nice breakfast with some of our dedicated supporters that helped to deliver a 70%-30% victory in Lewis County on primary night. We also talked about the next stage and what we will do to reach out to independent and Democratic voters. After Lowville it was off to Canton and Massena where met with some media outlets and thanked our supporters that helped to push us to an 80%-20% victory in the St. Lawrence County. We have made tremendous strides but we are far from victory. There is still much more to be done to change New York and now that we have the support of the Republican party it is time to reach out to everyone.
Wednesday September 13, 2006
Thank You Lewis, St. Lawrence and Oneida Counties!
Tuesday September 12, 2006
Well today is a very big day for voters in the 47th Senate District. I just want to take a moment to thank all of you that have taken an interest in my campaign during this primary season. I have been blessed to have so much support of so many people in Oneida, St. Lawrence and Lewis County. I am not going to say much more, but ask one more time for you to cast your ballot on my behalf. I promise to work hard to bring relief to property taxes owners, reform to Albany's dysfunctional system and results to the people of the 47th Senate District. Polls are open from Noon until 9pm tonight. To make getting to the polls easier, the " voter information/ where to vote" section of this web site will tell you where to go to cast your ballot. Once again, I thank you for your support and I look forward to having the Republican party nomination for the November election Thursday September 7, 2006
Tonight on NewsChannel 2 WKTV in Utica will air the debate between my primary and opponent and I that was taped August 28th. I encourage you to watch. It starts at 7pm and runs until 8. I applaud WKTV for dedicating a significant amount of their air time to this civic minded function. It was a terrific exchange of ideas and I was happy to take part. I think the debate clearly outlined the difference between my opponent and me. I am happy to have a healthy discussion of the issues whenever one presents itself.
Wednesday September 6, 2006
I was up early this morning to meet with radio legend Hank Brown. Hank had me on to discuss the race for about a half hour. We had a very nice chat about the different issues confronting this area. We talked specifically about what we can do to help senior citizens. Many of Hank's loyal listeners are citizens. There are a number of things the State can do to better help our seniors and that is one of the things I hope to make a priority in Albany.
I also want to give Kim and Walt Morrisey a plug because I was unable to make the premier party for their new TV show explore! They have put together a great new show that will run on Nexstar TV in the Utica area. I applaud them for taking the initiative to try something new. The show debuts this weekend.
Tuesday September 5, 2006
I want to thank the Mayors from Lewis, St. Lawrence and Oneida Counties that took the time to join me tonight and show their support for my campaign. It means a lot to have so many of my former colleagues and current friends show their faith in my ability. I have talked a lot in this campaign about the need to work with our elected officials to make positive change. My opponent often talks about "fighting" to get he is point across. I will fight when I think it is right, but you get more done when you can unite people. I think what we showed tonight was the ability to unite.
Thursday August 31, 2006-
Racing is back up and running at Vernon Downs and after two years of struggle the over 400 people who work and rely on the Downs are in business. Tonight almost 10,000 visitors made their way to Vernon to watch the kickoff of racing. What is even more exciting is the potential that exists with the implementation of Video Lottery Terminals. Similar tracks in Saratoga and Tioga have seen a re-birth with the added interest of VLTs. As a State Senator, I promise to work with the Racing and Wagering Authority to make sure that Vernon Downs gets its fair shake from decisions made on gaming in New York State. It took too long to get this deal done. Now that things are moving forward we need to keep Albany bureaucratic obstacles out of the way of their progress.
Wednesday August 30, 2006-
We had a nice night in Lowville going door to door and meeting over a hundred people. It is important for our campaign to make every effort to introduce ourselves to the people of the North Country. Lewis and St. Lawrence County have been fortunate to have someone like Sen. Meier work hard at making sure that the size of the district was not an excuse for meeting their needs. I have worked hard to meet with voters in both counties.
I want to thank the Library Trustees from across Lewis County. I was happy to learn about your concerns and promise that I will take that information with me to Albany. Libraries are a vital part of the infrastructure of a community and I believe we have to continue to find ways to support them. I truly believe Lady Bird Johnson said it best when she said "Perhaps no place in any community is so totally democratic as the town library. The only entrance requirement is interest."
Saturday August 26, 2006-
I can't say enough about the impact that the ATV/ Snowmobile community has on the economy of the 47th Senate District. The people who enjoy these motor sports have, for the most part, created an economic engine all by themselves. They maintain the trails, buy the equipment and support the restaurants that thrive all along the motor sports corridor. Today we got to talk with many of those people at the 1st Annual Lewis County ATV Rally and Expo in Martinsburg. They don't ask for much, just basic support from the government infrastructure and the ability to continue to grow. I don't think that is too much to ask and when elected to the Senate I am going to use every resource available to help this economic engine continue to thrive.
Wednesday August 23, 2006-
I have a busy few days. Tonight I am off to a hearing on the proposed power line project that will run from Oneida County to Orange County. I have been using every resource I have available to me to prevent this project from moving forward. Tonight Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito is bringing a few of her colleagues from the State Assembly to ask some tough questions of the company New York Regional Interconnect at SUNYIT. I will submit testimony that strongly expresses the County's opposition to the project. We must continue to work together if we are to prevent this from moving forward.
After the hearing, I plan to shoot up Glass Factory Road to Holland Patent for the annual picnic and concert at the Village Green. This event usually brings hundreds of people and I am going to meet up with Mayor Michael Bennison and Trustee Fran Crumb and shake some hands with Voters in the 47th Senate District.
Tomorrow night I will attend a celebration for the 90th Anniversary of the Empire Recycling Company in Utica and then head off to the celebration for the one year anniversary of the BRAC victory at Bucky's in Rome. I am excited to be there with all of the workers from DFAS whose jobs were protected.
Thursday August 17, 2006-
It was great to see all of the terrific supporters of the Lewis County Republican Party tonight. From Chairman Villanti to Leg. Chairman Bush to Election Commissioner Ann Nortz to the many people who work hard to continue support candidates like me, it was nice to spend some time having a good time. We have a lot of work to do before election day, and without these kind of people we would be nowhere.
Wednesday August 16, 2006-
Two thank yous tonight. First a big thank you to the public safety officials that took the time to meet with me in Lowville. I really enjoyed learning about the issues that you are facing and I promise to continue working to help you keep us safe. I also want to thank Lewis County Republican Chairman Sam Villanti for pinch hitting for me at the Veteran's Council event. It was a real honor to have a purple heart veteran of the Korean Conflict there on my behalf. I care so much about the needs of the Veteran's of the 47th Senate District and we learned a great deal from tonight's event.
Tuesday August 15, 2006-
We spent tonight going door to door in the Village of Clinton, which is one of the nicest towns in the Senate District. Clinton is of course home to Hamilton College and they are gearing up to welcome students back to town at the end of the month. Tonight we went and talked to many people about the issues of concern to them in this election year. I am not surpised to hear time and time again that property taxes are incredibly burdensome. It is clear that we need real reform in Albany to give these homeowners, the backbone of our communities, real relief. After going door to door we took in some of the concert in the Village Green and then went to the Kiwanis meeting at the historic O'Connor's Alexander Hamilton Inn. It turned out to be a very enjoyable evening.
Sunday August 13, 2006-
Saturday was a terrific day. We got the chance to meet with two groups of Americans that we are lucky to have in our country. First we went to Lewis County and took part in a ceremony that honored the 10th Mountain Division 1st Brigade Combat Team. The team recently returned from a tour in Iraq. The Lewis County Legislature put the event together. One of the highlights of the day was hearing the Lowville Community Band which played a stirring rendition of the Star Spangled Banner.
After the event in Lowville we made our way to Prospect where the annual Volunteer Firefighters Convention kicked off. We joined many local fire companies in a parade that made its way through the streets of the Oneida County Village. We have worked hard in Oneida County to help recruit and retain volunteers to fight fires. We recently signed into a law a provision that allows volunteers a tax credit for their service. It is no secret that local fire departments are having a hard time keeping their membership fluid. It will be one of my first priorities when elected to the Senate to encourage more support from the State for our volunteers.
Friday August 11, 2006-
The parade season is winding down and tonight was one of the remaining few we have left. The crowd in Taberg for their annual parade was great. I feel like throughout this summer we have dealt with almost every type of weather there is. It has been really hot (Honor America Days in Rome) really wet (4th of July in Utica) and really windy (Floyd Field Days). Tonight the weather was picture perfect. There was not a cloud in the sky. The temperature was in the low 70's with a slight breeze. It could not have been better. I know a few of the people working with the campaign hit the Blues Traveler show at the Saranac Brewery. I am so excited to see how the business community in West Utica, led by the Matt Family is turning that area into a real entertainment district. If you have ever been down there on a Thursday night, you know that great things are happening. From what our friends said, the show was close to sold out tonight.
Wednesday August 9, 2006-
Today we spent the afternoon in Lowville as a new section of the Lewis County General Hospital opened. It was an exciting day for the hospital as they celebrated their 75th anniversary. A hospital the caliber of Lewis County General is essential to the people in the 47th Senate District. It is hard to believe when you see all of the state of the art assets that the hospital now has, that it started with an $80 thousand fund raising effort in 1929. That point was further emphasized when the Hospital's Foundation Director Tim O'Connor took us on a tour of the new Digital Mammography Center. A center such as this is essential to fighting breast cancer.
Sunday August 6, 2006-
4 stops today and about 177 miles. It was worth it. We met many people across the district and heard a lot about the needs of people in Northern and Central New York. We started at the annual Constableville field days in Lewis County. County Legislator Rick Lucas took my fiance' Lorraine and I around the event where we met Ron Waldron a former staffer of Senator Jim Donovan. After Constableville we headed back to Oneida County. After honoring fallen fire fighters at an event Floyd we met up with Family Court Judge Randy Caldwell at the annual Marcy Town Picnic. We concluded the day in Boonville at an interesting event, the annual Swiss Picnic. That is where a favorite group of mine Fritz's Polka Band was entertaining the group. The event has been planned every year by Marian Carpenter. Marian is a real treasure. She works so hard to make sure everything goes off without a hitch. We concluded with a stop at the famous Kaytu drive-in. I am sure I will sleep well tonight.
Saturday August 5, 2006-
As you probably know, I am in the middle of a busy summer. In addition to the race for State Senate, I am planning my wedding for the second weekend in September (yes, right before the primary election) and am still the Oneida County Executive which presents some unique responsibilities. Today was a good example. A good friend of mine's daughter was getting married and they asked me to perform the ceremony. I have always enjoyed this aspect of the job. In my close to 20 years of public service I have had the honor of officiating the weddings of many friends, colleagues and complete strangers. There is nothing like being there when a couple begins their lives together. I can't believe that day is right around the corner for me.
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