Another Voice / Economic revival
State Senate Democrats plan to rebuild upstate
As the leader of the incoming majority in the New York State Senate, I want to send a strong, clear message: Senate Democrats are committed to upstate.
We’re committed to listening to the families, business owners, elected officials and community leaders who know upstate best. We’re committed to empowering upstate Democratic senators and helping them deliver for their communities. But most importantly, we’re committed to making all of state government work for upstate New York.
For too long, the upstate economy has languished as state government dysfunction blocked opportunities to respond in a powerful, coordinated fashion. In the last four decades, the Republican majority in the Senate not only blocked sensible solutions to our economic challenges, but actually promoted failed policies that drove up property taxes and drove away jobs.
Economic development funding was funneled to political allies. Special-interest deals in Albany resulted in new costs for local government. And the three-way division of power resulted not in checks and balances, but in a splintered policy process.
Senate Democrats will enact policies that build on regional assets and statewide strengths — our “One New York” approach is designed to build prosperity and opportunity everywhere, instead of turning one region against the other.
“One New York” means we will listen to voices across the state and address concerns with sensible and adaptable solutions that work in communities from Jamestown to Port Jefferson. “One New York” means that the Senate will work together with the governor, the Assembly, the comptroller and the attorney general to address our greatest challenges — together.
“One New York” means working with mayors, county executives, local chambers of commerce, organized labor and citizens groups to develop new solutions to long-standing problems, a process we’ll begin in the weeks ahead with a series of roundtable discussions across upstate.
Upstate will have a strong voice in the new Democratic State Senate. This voice was amplified last spring with the creation of the Senate Democratic Upstate Caucus, made up of senators from Erie County, Watertown, Syracuse and Albany. Caucus members are developing proposals to take advantage of burgeoning green industry; to promote energy production and to create a stronger link between upstate products and downstate markets.
Above all else, Senate Democrats are committed to an open door for new ideas and new approaches. We’re committed to a bipartisan, nonideological approach that will allow us to combine the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans, business and labor, farmers and manufacturers. And we’re committed to delivering results in the form of new jobs, new opportunity and a new day for upstate — and for all of New York, together.
Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, is minority leader of the New York State Senate.
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