To the Editor:
In just about four months, we have some big decisions to make. It’s a “presidential year,” and more votes will be cast than in any election since 2016. I am excited to be a candidate on the ballot this November.
Before going into the main points of my letter, I want to give my thanks to the commissioners and staffs at the Boards of Elections. They stepped up to ensure that everyone could vote safely in the primary despite monumental challenges this year. Our country is still in a pandemic crisis, but access to the polls was protected and our votes were counted.
I am running for the Assembly’s 121st District because I am excited about the possibilities for our future – new jobs and industries supported by an education system that prepares our students for success in Upstate New York. Like many of you, I am troubled by the lack of state support for our communities, and I want to get to work to change that.
We need big changes in New York, and to do that we need big steps taken in Albany. My opponent has said in his own words that he does not expect to pass significant legislation.
I do expect to pass significant legislation, starting with adding Madison County as a host community for casino gaming. This change will guarantee Madison County gets its fair share of the gaming revenue generated at the Yellow Brick Road Casino and Point Place Casino. Our Assemblyman has not delivered on this important legislation that will ensure Madison County is fairly compensated and can cover the costs associated with hosting two gaming facilities.
Furthermore, my opponent voted against the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act in 2019, which moves New York toward 85-percent emissions reductions by 2050 and invests in renewable energy. He said he voted against it because it will cost billions of dollars and cost jobs in the energy sector. He is right that energy is expensive, but he is wrong that it will cost jobs.
The renewable energy industry is the fastest-growing jobs sector in the country, and it is fast approaching the intersection where it will be less costly than gas production, which makes it the right choice to invest in. To meet the goals of this legislation, there will be follow up job-creating project-based action, and since our representative says he doesn’t want it, we can expect to be looked over yet again.
As your representative, I will pursue the initiatives that invest in our future – investments that will protect our communities and ensure they can thrive for generations. Learn more at my website buttermannforassembly.com or follow me on Facebook.
Dan Buttermann