Experience~Independence

For years power brokers downtown viewed our county legislative seat  as just another lockstep vote for the Albany-based machine. The election of Travis Stevens in 2011 changed that. Since then our area has had an effective, independent,  common sense voice.  We  can't go back to the old ways.

Our neighbors shouldn't have to drive all the way to Western Ave to eat, bank or buy essentials, passing empty storefronts as they go. It's hard to run a small business in our area. I know, because I've done it. It's even harder when Albany mandates drive up the cost of doing business.    Western Albany County requires a balanced economy or else those who love it here won’t be able to afford the taxes to stay here. Local businesses give definition to our communities, but they need government officials who appreciate how hard it is to make a local business survive. 

The physical beauty  and natural environment of the Helderberg region is our greatest strength.   You see economic value created in Saratoga and Schenectady Counties around man made attractions like a race track or casinos. However, with the Helderbergs  Albany County has the superior natural environment. This is a tremendous advantage for a future in which eco-tourism is expected to be a major driver of the economy. We have the ingredients- the Fair,  the golf courses,  the lakes and the beautiful State Parks- but we need to take it a few steps further, we need to make our area a coordinated hub of green recreation activities. I have experience in this area, on a regional and state level and I'd like to apply that know how here to make more good things happen locally. 

Recently the County Legislature voted to award pension sweeteners to public employees without even analyzing the financial impacts of the vote! This was followed by voting down a reasonable  12 year limit on elected terms. We pay for a legislature that is bloated, ideological and increasingly out of control. It's time for smaller, smarter government that is more responsive to the people paying the bills. 

Our parties are being taken over by zealots who seem to be driven primarily by hate for the other side. I think my opponent sees the world very differently from me, but I'm not going to tear her down over it because she's also my neighbor. I'm honored to have received the endorsement of the Republican, Conservative and Independence Parties but I'm prouder of my history  of working across party lines to get things done. To me civility matters, in private and in public matters. When Ken Runion asked me to chair a task force to get the reconstruction of Main Street accomplished we didn't let partisan differences get in the way, we all worked together to  get awesome results for the community. For me, that's what it's all about.