CHENANGO COUNTY – Of the 5,000-plus responses received for Senator Fred Akshar’s “Community Voice Survey,” 48 percent said that reducing regulations and red tape is the best way to stimulate job creation in the Southern Tier.
Another 95 percent believe that public officials who are found guilty of corruption in relation to their position should forfeit their pensions.
These are just some of the survey results which Senator Akshar (R-52nd District) released earlier this week. Akshar’s Community Voice Survey is a snapshot of where district residents, including those in Chenango County, stand on issues currently facing the region.
“Listening to the people has been my priority from day one,” said Akshar. “These past few months, I’ve been blessed to have had conversations throughout the 52nd district at our pop-up offices and other events, but there’s always more I can learn.”
Earlier this year, Akshar distributed the survey to residents throughout New York’s 52nd Senate District. Responses were collected via mail and online. Akshar’s office received more than 5,000 responses from folks weighing in on issues that range from the state’s business climate, to the heroin epidemic and ethics reform.
According to Akshar, the survey is a useful tool in determining the future direction of the Southern Tier.
“If we’re going to be successful as a community, elected officials need to be open and accessible to the people,” Akshar said. “This survey is another way to stay engaged with the people I represent.”
Survey highlights show that 29 percent favor enforcement as the thing that needs the most attention in the fight against the heroin epidemic. Another 28 percent believe it’s prevention, 25 percent say it’s treatment access, and 17 percent say it’s education.
When it comes to the proposal for a supervised heroin injection site to prevent overdose, a strong majority – 82 percent – said they don’t support the idea while 18 percent said they would.
“Community members were evenly divided on how to fight heroin,” said Akshar. “To me, this reinforces the need for a multi-faceted approach in fighting the heroin epidemic, with the help of the entire community and every level of government.”
As for taxpayers funding of political campaign ads, mail and robocalls, a staggaring 95 percent of those who completed the survey disagreed, thus paralleling a recent Sina poll showing that 97 percent of New Yorkers want to see some sort of ethics reform before the end of the legislative session.
“The people expect and deserve the highest ethical standards from their elected officials,” said Akshar. “That’s why I co-sponsored legislation to strip pensions from convicted public servants. While more ethics reforms are needed, the people I represent were clear that using public taxpayer dollars to finance political campaigns is unacceptable.”
Results also found that:
• 51 percent of those who were surveyed would like to see the Secure Ammunition and Firearms Enforcement (SAFE) Act repealed
• 50 percent want the state to allocate capital project funding for the demolition of blighted properties
• 70 percent are against requiring employers to provide paid family leave
• 58 percent support the legalization of farming industrial hemp
“We live in a very diverse state with many different opinions on the issues, even within the borders of the 52nd Senate District,” said Akshar. “At the end of the day, my goal is to work hard to find the right compromises to help improve the lives of the people I represent.”
Full survey results can be found online at Akshar.NYSenate.Gov.