In a May speech this year Mike made his position on
agriculture very clear – “We must continue to support our farmers. Period.”
Mike understands that agriculture is the backbone of our region. In fact, we
have the largest number of farms of any district in the state. They are the
very fabric of upstate New York.
With 47 million uninsured Americans, adults and children, our country is obviously in the throes of a crisis. Lacking insurance, these citizens seek health care in emergency rooms all across this country – and the costs of their treatment are passed along to us all.
Since elected to Congress, I’ve been fighting NYRI’s plan to cut a scar through our backyards and our communities. I’ve been working hard in Washingtonto prevent NYRI from using federal eminent domain to construct a power line, and I’m committed to continue opposing this ill-conceived proposal.
Mike stands for
responsible, clean energy sources that break our dependence on foreign oil and
eventually fossil fuels. He also knows that the wheels of commerce must
continue, without jeopardizing other resources.
In our modern economy, new jobs require new skills. But as wages have declined, the cost of higher education has risen. Increasingly, hard-working middle class families find themselves priced out of providing the best educational opportunities for their kids. I’ve seen the results first-hand as a father of two teenagers.
As a father of school
aged children you would expect education to be important to Mike. But his
accomplishments for our young people, teachers and school systems in our
district are remarkable, bringing in much needed funding and services while
keeping our children safe.
Having served as Oneida County District Attorney for 13 years, I know first-hand how critical it is for our law enforcement to have the funds they need to protect us and keep themselves safe.
Mike is committed to those men and woman that have served
our country. As the son of a World War II veteran, he personally understands
their deeply rooted commitment, patriotism, and their needs when coming home.
I believe that protecting the safety and security of Americans is, undoubtedly, my most important priority. It is essential that we do everything in our power to protect target-rich environments, like New York, from future terrorist attacks.
We have to help middle class families to ensure that they can make ends meet. To this end, I’ve worked in Congress to provide relief for New York families.
As a former small business owner, I know the pressures local companies are under. Small businesses are the back-bone of our region’s economy -- they provide critical jobs and essential services. In Congress, I’m fighting to help our small businesses get the tax relief they need to stay ahead.
I promised to change the way business was done in Washington. We had a Congress that voted to increase their own salaries, while refusing to provide a minimum wage increase for hard-working, tax-paying families.
In two separate June 2010 studies by Time Magazine and
CNN-Money.com our region is leading the nation’s economic recovery in several
key sectors, including personal expendable income, housing and jobs. Mike’s
hard work and vision is paying off for us.
