Secure Our Future: An open letter to the citizens of New York’s 56th Senate District

Dear Citizens,

It’s time to send a message to Albany — building the economy of tomorrow starts today. That’s why I’m running for the State Senate in New York’s 56th District.

Over the past few weeks, I met hundreds of people who call this region home. Here’s what I heard:

• Tax cuts don’t help when I don’t have a decent paycheck to start.
• There’s a lack of good paying jobs in our region — politicians promise them, but fail to deliver.
• I’m worried about the safety of my children in school.
• My parents can’t afford a nursing home but aren’t safe in their homes — we’re stuck.
• I can’t afford to buy a home for my family.
• My kids moved away but won’t come home because they can’t find a job.

When I asked them about the future, most couldn’t talk about next year let alone next month. Too many of our neighbors are living day-to-day. They’re living with jobs that carry a lot of risk with little to no reward.

We live in interesting times. While surrounded by some of the best colleges and universities in the world, talented graduates, saddled with student debt, too often jet across the country for a better paycheck. Family homes are no longer an asset, but a liability for people who want to age in place with dignity, but can’t afford the skilled care they need. And for those seeking a home for the first time, the path to ownership has never been more steep and narrow.

When I hear stories like these, I’m reminded of the past 15 years.

Short-term tax relief is no substitute for real economic growth

— the type of growth that creates stable, good-paying jobs that give people the confidence to buy a house, start a family, and keep upstate New York their home.

That’s why I’ve decided to run for the State Senate.

We must secure our community’s future.

And here’s how we do that — it’s time to pass common-sense measures to make our communities safer and more sustainable, rethink and reimagine the use and recipients of economic incentives, strengthen our schools with a deeper focus on teachers and parents, and help our aging population live with the support they deserve.

Thousands of New Yorkers feel this urgency too.

Last night, voters chose to move the State Senate closer to a Democratic majority. Without representation in this potential new majority, the Rochester region will face significant disadvantages. We can’t afford to be without a seat at that table.

Representation matters.

I was proud to grow up in the 56th Senate District and I believe now is the time for a new generation to stand up and fight for the communities that raised them. It’s time to secure our future. I hope you’ll join us.

Onward,

Jeremy