For Lorene Dadey, it’s too soon to decide what to do with Interstate-81 through downtown Syracuse. And to improve the local economy, she proposes more funding for education and cutting taxes for small businesses, she says.
In the Nov. 5 election, Dadey, 56, is the Democratic challenger for the District 7 seat in the Onondaga County Legislature. She’s facing incumbent Danny Liedka, R-East Syracuse. In 2011, she lost to Liedka by 166 votes.
District 7 is in the central region of Onondaga County, including a small northeastern part of the city of Syracuse, most of the northern and western parts of DeWitt and all of East Syracuse.
The Future of Interstate 81
Q1: What should be done with I-81 and why?
Dadey: “It would be premature to form a decision on the solution for I-81. One solution involves I-481. Is it capable of handling the increased traffic? What impact will this have on surrounding communities, etc.?”
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.
Q2: 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?
Dadey: “More funding needs to be directed to OCC [Onondaga Community College]. Some local businesses are looking for employees with two year degrees. Education is one of the keys to helping reduce poverty and improve our local economy.”
On her palm card, Dadey writes: “I run a successful small business. I understand that the future economic growth in our region depends on small businesses success. On the County Legislature, I will support tax cuts to small business entrepreneurs who will bring jobs to our area, and oppose blind tax giveaways to developers with no guarantees that their projects will lead to job growth.”
(Valerie Crowder is a junior with dual majors in newspaper journalism and political science.)
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