Issue Position: Economic Development/Jobs

Issue Position

There is nothing more important to me and to our communities than the creation of jobs and economic development to sustain and develop our quality of life. In my position as County Attorney, as a Director of Southern Tier Economic Growth (STEG) and as Counsel to the Chemung County Industrial Development Agency (CCIDA), I have been at the forefront of marketing and developing our region as an area to expand or locate a business. I am not just concerned about bringing any business into the area, but businesses that will create good-paying jobs and show the promise of having long-term growth and expansion. I want to work within the business community to ensure that our existing businesses, especially those that have been the backbone of our local economy for decades are not threatened by expansion of new business in our area, but that they compliment each other, ensuring the economic development of our region and jobs for the future.

Government does not create jobs, businesses do; Legislators can create a business friendly environment so our economy can thrive. New York's Empire Zone has been critical to business competitiveness in New York. We have had great success with our Empire Zones in the Southern Tier with projects like: the Corning Inc diesel catalytic converter plant, CVS distribution facility, Schweizer/Sikorsky Hawkworks, General Revenue Corp, Sitel Corp, Schlumberger in Horseheads, Corning research and development expansion, Vulcraft Steel in Chemung, Synthes in Big Flats, X-Gen Pharmaceuticals in Big Flats and the Best Buy distribution facility in Tioga. These projects have created hundreds of local good-paying jobs.

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