Rebuilding Interstate 81 as it is and relief from taxes and from state mandates are answers to some key issues for Judy Tassone, the Republican Party’s candidate for the District 4 seat in the Onondaga County Legislature.
Tassone, 61, R-Liverpool, is running for a third term as county legislator for District 4. She faces Democratic challenger Carol Sinesi. In 2009 and 2011, Tassone defeated Democrat David Stott for the District 4 seat.
District 4 is in the central region of Onondaga County, including Geddes, the western part of Salina, Liverpool, most of Onondaga Lake, and a small portion of the Northside of Syracuse. The election is Nov. 5.
Democracywise posed two questions on some key issues to the candidates in some of the contested races in the November election.
Here are Tassone’s responses:
Q: What should be done with Interstate 81 and why?
Tassone: “The debate over I-81 has been narrowed to two choices – new elevated highway or a boulevard. Changing I-81 as it exists now and turning it into a boulevard would mean that the interstate would have to be moved – probably to 481. Relocating the highway would severely hurt and cripple the numerous businesses that have been built along this corridor. Hotels, restaurants, malls, etc. do years of planning and research on where to locate to be the most prosperous. We need to be careful not to hurt the tax base, but more important, not to hurt the working commuters that travel I-81 in and through the city on a daily bases. Interstate 81 should be rebuilt as it exists.”
Recession, unemployment and poverty
In September, the U.S. Census Bureau reported that Syracuse and Onondaga County have not yet recovered from the 2008 recession. In the city, unemployment was 14 percent and in 2012 more than a third of city residents lived in poverty. For children, 55 percent were living in poverty. Those figures are a four-year high, according to the Census Bureau. And in Onondaga County, median family income in 2012 was $64,324. That’s compares to $67,661 in 2008 and $65,666 in 2011.
What specifically would you like local government – the County Legislature and/or the Common Council do to improve the local economy and help reduce poverty? Why do you think your proposal would help?
Tassone: “Historically, Central New York is one of the last to enter a recession, and one of the last to come out of one, and that being said – the main problem of our local economy and the poverty in our county is our state government. It was just recently printed in the newspaper that New York state was ranked last as far as being a ‘business friendly’ state. The taxes in New York state are driving businesses and jobs out. Taxes and the economy are both presenting very hard times in our community. Our number one issue is the unfunded mandates that are handed down to us from Albany. New York state has slammed us with another $17 million in state mandates within the past few years alone. One hundred percent of our property taxes go to these NYS mandates. Mandate relief is an issue I have been fighting for since 2009 and I will continue to fight for this.I am proud of my record of cutting the county tax levy by millions, reducing the county government spending and decreasing the size of our county government, now if we can just get Albany to do the same – that is the answer!”
(Alana Heller is a junior majoring in broadcast and digital journalism and minoring in marketing.)
-30-
