Chenango heads to the polls
CHENANGO COUNTY – Chenango County voters will head to the polls today to weigh-in on a number of issues ranging from local, state and federal representation to the amount of money invested in technology in their child’s classroom.
At the local level, focus in this election is heavily drawn to the race between incumbent State Senator Tom Libous and Democratic challenger Anndrea Starzak. Libous, a 26-year Republican veteran in the State Senate, is touting experience and works done for the community to give him an edge.
“I don’t think that there is any one greatest problem,” Libous said in a September debate with Starzak. “I think in order to do this job properly, you have to look at a multitude of things to help move us forward.”
Libous is also riding on what he says have been major successes for New York’s 52nd Senate District. Libous was influential in keeping the Binghamton psychiatric center open and implementing the Start-Up New York Program to attract new businesses to areas with state-run colleges and universities.
“If you're going to bring new people and new businesses into NY, you have to have something to grab them,” he added.
Starzak, however, says programs like Start-Up New York lack the long-term fix needed for areas like the Southern Tier. She is running on a platform centered heavily on education and improving the local economy.
Starzak said during a campaign stop in Chenango County in August that she intends to use her experience as a retired school teacher and former Town of Vestal Supervisor to advocate for statewide changes in health and education, promote good jobs and fair wages, improve infrastructure, and bring an end to corruption in Albany.
“We need a new Senator who works for all of us and who will put the needs of the people above her own,” said Starzak. “It’s time for a change.”
This also marks an election year for the seat of New York State Governor. While incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) is seeking re-election for a second term, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino is running a campaign that emphasizes the state’s slow economic growth in what he claims to be the worst state to do business.
During a springtime campaign stop in Norwich, Astorino said New York is “losing” under current leadership.
“We have the worst economic outlook in America. We have the worst business climate in America. We have the most corruption in America. We have the highest electricity in America,” Astorino said. “No matter how you objectively look at it, we are losing.”
Astorino is running on a platform to cut taxes for homeowners and cut spending for state-run programs. Moreover, he pledges to ease the tax burden on businesses to help create new jobs. He has also vowed to address the controversial issue of natural gas development by permitting gas drilling in the state – a contested decision he said will ultimately create more jobs, bolster the local economy and reduce electric bills statewide. In recent months, he has come out strongly in opposition of the New York Safe Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act, which was implemented under Governor Cuomo in 2013.
Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo is running on a track record of economic growth that includes four on-time state budgets, lower property tax growth rate, lower unemployment and the a new tax freeze for eligible homeowners.
According to Cuomo’s campaign website (andrewcuomo.com), four years of responsible fiscal leadership has turned the state’s $10 billion deficit into a projected $2 billion surplus.
“With spending under control and government spending down, the State could cut taxes and reverse the mentality of New York as the tax capital of the nation, an image that defined New York for decades,” Cuomo’s website says.
In the 126th Assembly District, incumbent Republican Assemblyman Gary Finch will appear on the ballot agains Democratic challenger Diane Dwire.
With her military background in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Dwire has been campaigning on a promise to protect quality of life by banning hydrofracking (pending further research), lowering taxes and cutting government spending, advocating for the Women’s Equality Act, and taking a zero tolerance stance for elected officials who abuse the powers of office for personal gain.
Finch, who has held office in the State Assembly since 1999, is promoting a list of achievements that includes support of the Pathway to Success initiative in education, advocating for higher education standards and fair funding for school districts, cutting property taxes for local businesses to hire, pushing for the Womens Equality Act and repeal of the NY SAFE Act, and fighting government corruption.
Voters will also have say in two additional statewide elections today. Long Island Democrat Thomas DiNapoli will square-off with Onondaga County Comptroller Robert Antonacci for a seat as State Comptroller.
DiNapoli, who’s served as the people’s fiscal watchdog since 2007, is promoting what he says was a successful seven years of identifying financial waste, misuse and cost savings through audits of local governments, state agencies, public authorities and state contracts.
Since taking office, DiNapoli created the Joint Task Force on Public Integrity to hold public office holders more accountable. He has further expanded the Investigations Division, pushed for increased oversight of special education funds, and advocated for campaign finance reform.
Even so, Antonacci says more can be done.
“In Onondaga County, I've proven I'm not afraid to stand up and fight against government inefficiency,” Antonacci states on his website (bobantonacci.com). “I've performed countless audits and have worked with officials of both parties to find solutions. I want to take this experience and bring it to our state government.”
DiNapoli and Antonacci are also joined on the ballot by Green Party member Theresa Portelli and Stop Common Core Libertarian Party member John Clifton.
Also up for re-election at the state level is Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman who is being challenged by John Cahill to be the top lawyer in the state.
Cahill, a former chief of staff to the New York Governor from 2002-2006, served a coordinating roll in efforts to rebuild lower Manhattan after the September 11 attacks. He is pulling his experience as a former Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, and General Counsel to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Despite Cahill’s credentials, Schneiderman is peddling a record as Attorney General that includes cracking down on financial crime, helping protect homeowners from foreclosure, battling scams, corruption and fraud across the state, defending reproductive choice, fighting the drug epidemic, and working to get illegal guns off the streets.
Voters will additionally have a say in a number of uncontested elections today. While contested in the Republican primary election, incumbent Congressman Richard Hanna is running unopposed in the general election, as is State Supreme Court Justice Robert Mulvey (R); 51st District Senator James Seward (R); and New York District 122 Assemblyman Clifford Crouch (R).
In local government, County Treasurer William Craine is also unopposed.
In addition, three statewide proposals appear on the ballot this year. Proposal Number One suggests amending the New York State Constitution to change the policies required for redistricting procedure for state legislative and congressional districts. The ammendment establishes a redistricting commission every 10 years, prohibits elected officials from serving as commissioners, and requires commissions to hold public hearings on redistricting plans.
Proposal Number Two also suggests an ammendment to the New York State Constitution. The ammendment would allow electronic distribution of a state legislative bill to satisfy constitutional requirements that a bill be printed and on the desks of state legislators at least three days before Legislation votes on it.
Proposal Number Three would provide $2 billion for the Smart Schools Bond Act, a statewide initiative that would provide access to classroom technology and high-speed internet connectivity to create more fair opportunities for children. Furthermore, it proposes to add classroom space to expand pre-kindergarten programs, replace classroom trailers with permanent instructional space, and install high-tech smart security features in schools.
Residents in the Greene area will have say in a local proposal that would give Town of Greene officials the authority to authorize bingo games by select organizations without giving the same authority to Village of Greene authorities.
Likewise, Town of Columbus voters will have their own contested proposal that may determine the fate of its town hall. If approved by voters, Proposal Number Four in Columbus would give the Town Board authority to sell the Town Hall.
For more information and to find polling locations, visit the Chenango County Board of Elections website at www.co.chenango.ny.us/elections or call 337-1760. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
At the local level, focus in this election is heavily drawn to the race between incumbent State Senator Tom Libous and Democratic challenger Anndrea Starzak. Libous, a 26-year Republican veteran in the State Senate, is touting experience and works done for the community to give him an edge.
“I don’t think that there is any one greatest problem,” Libous said in a September debate with Starzak. “I think in order to do this job properly, you have to look at a multitude of things to help move us forward.”
Libous is also riding on what he says have been major successes for New York’s 52nd Senate District. Libous was influential in keeping the Binghamton psychiatric center open and implementing the Start-Up New York Program to attract new businesses to areas with state-run colleges and universities.
“If you're going to bring new people and new businesses into NY, you have to have something to grab them,” he added.
Starzak, however, says programs like Start-Up New York lack the long-term fix needed for areas like the Southern Tier. She is running on a platform centered heavily on education and improving the local economy.
Starzak said during a campaign stop in Chenango County in August that she intends to use her experience as a retired school teacher and former Town of Vestal Supervisor to advocate for statewide changes in health and education, promote good jobs and fair wages, improve infrastructure, and bring an end to corruption in Albany.
“We need a new Senator who works for all of us and who will put the needs of the people above her own,” said Starzak. “It’s time for a change.”
This also marks an election year for the seat of New York State Governor. While incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo (D) is seeking re-election for a second term, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino is running a campaign that emphasizes the state’s slow economic growth in what he claims to be the worst state to do business.
During a springtime campaign stop in Norwich, Astorino said New York is “losing” under current leadership.
“We have the worst economic outlook in America. We have the worst business climate in America. We have the most corruption in America. We have the highest electricity in America,” Astorino said. “No matter how you objectively look at it, we are losing.”
Astorino is running on a platform to cut taxes for homeowners and cut spending for state-run programs. Moreover, he pledges to ease the tax burden on businesses to help create new jobs. He has also vowed to address the controversial issue of natural gas development by permitting gas drilling in the state – a contested decision he said will ultimately create more jobs, bolster the local economy and reduce electric bills statewide. In recent months, he has come out strongly in opposition of the New York Safe Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act, which was implemented under Governor Cuomo in 2013.
Meanwhile, Governor Cuomo is running on a track record of economic growth that includes four on-time state budgets, lower property tax growth rate, lower unemployment and the a new tax freeze for eligible homeowners.
According to Cuomo’s campaign website (andrewcuomo.com), four years of responsible fiscal leadership has turned the state’s $10 billion deficit into a projected $2 billion surplus.
“With spending under control and government spending down, the State could cut taxes and reverse the mentality of New York as the tax capital of the nation, an image that defined New York for decades,” Cuomo’s website says.
In the 126th Assembly District, incumbent Republican Assemblyman Gary Finch will appear on the ballot agains Democratic challenger Diane Dwire.
With her military background in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps, Dwire has been campaigning on a promise to protect quality of life by banning hydrofracking (pending further research), lowering taxes and cutting government spending, advocating for the Women’s Equality Act, and taking a zero tolerance stance for elected officials who abuse the powers of office for personal gain.
Finch, who has held office in the State Assembly since 1999, is promoting a list of achievements that includes support of the Pathway to Success initiative in education, advocating for higher education standards and fair funding for school districts, cutting property taxes for local businesses to hire, pushing for the Womens Equality Act and repeal of the NY SAFE Act, and fighting government corruption.
Voters will also have say in two additional statewide elections today. Long Island Democrat Thomas DiNapoli will square-off with Onondaga County Comptroller Robert Antonacci for a seat as State Comptroller.
DiNapoli, who’s served as the people’s fiscal watchdog since 2007, is promoting what he says was a successful seven years of identifying financial waste, misuse and cost savings through audits of local governments, state agencies, public authorities and state contracts.
Since taking office, DiNapoli created the Joint Task Force on Public Integrity to hold public office holders more accountable. He has further expanded the Investigations Division, pushed for increased oversight of special education funds, and advocated for campaign finance reform.
Even so, Antonacci says more can be done.
“In Onondaga County, I've proven I'm not afraid to stand up and fight against government inefficiency,” Antonacci states on his website (bobantonacci.com). “I've performed countless audits and have worked with officials of both parties to find solutions. I want to take this experience and bring it to our state government.”
DiNapoli and Antonacci are also joined on the ballot by Green Party member Theresa Portelli and Stop Common Core Libertarian Party member John Clifton.
Also up for re-election at the state level is Democratic Attorney General Eric Schneiderman who is being challenged by John Cahill to be the top lawyer in the state.
Cahill, a former chief of staff to the New York Governor from 2002-2006, served a coordinating roll in efforts to rebuild lower Manhattan after the September 11 attacks. He is pulling his experience as a former Senior Policy Advisor to the Governor, Commissioner of the Department of Environmental Conservation, and General Counsel to the Department of Environmental Conservation.
Despite Cahill’s credentials, Schneiderman is peddling a record as Attorney General that includes cracking down on financial crime, helping protect homeowners from foreclosure, battling scams, corruption and fraud across the state, defending reproductive choice, fighting the drug epidemic, and working to get illegal guns off the streets.
Voters will additionally have a say in a number of uncontested elections today. While contested in the Republican primary election, incumbent Congressman Richard Hanna is running unopposed in the general election, as is State Supreme Court Justice Robert Mulvey (R); 51st District Senator James Seward (R); and New York District 122 Assemblyman Clifford Crouch (R).
In local government, County Treasurer William Craine is also unopposed.
In addition, three statewide proposals appear on the ballot this year. Proposal Number One suggests amending the New York State Constitution to change the policies required for redistricting procedure for state legislative and congressional districts. The ammendment establishes a redistricting commission every 10 years, prohibits elected officials from serving as commissioners, and requires commissions to hold public hearings on redistricting plans.
Proposal Number Two also suggests an ammendment to the New York State Constitution. The ammendment would allow electronic distribution of a state legislative bill to satisfy constitutional requirements that a bill be printed and on the desks of state legislators at least three days before Legislation votes on it.
Proposal Number Three would provide $2 billion for the Smart Schools Bond Act, a statewide initiative that would provide access to classroom technology and high-speed internet connectivity to create more fair opportunities for children. Furthermore, it proposes to add classroom space to expand pre-kindergarten programs, replace classroom trailers with permanent instructional space, and install high-tech smart security features in schools.
Residents in the Greene area will have say in a local proposal that would give Town of Greene officials the authority to authorize bingo games by select organizations without giving the same authority to Village of Greene authorities.
Likewise, Town of Columbus voters will have their own contested proposal that may determine the fate of its town hall. If approved by voters, Proposal Number Four in Columbus would give the Town Board authority to sell the Town Hall.
For more information and to find polling locations, visit the Chenango County Board of Elections website at www.co.chenango.ny.us/elections or call 337-1760. Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
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