Listening to You. . .

Assemblyman Barclay speaks with constituents at a town meeting.

I always enjoy meeting with constituents. These meetings keep me informed on the issues that are important to you and it allows me to let you know what I am working on in Albany. Earlier in the summer, I held a constituent outreach meeting in Oswego.

Workers’ Compensation was one of the issues discussed at the meeting. In particular, the concern raised was that New York’s Workers’ Compensation System had some of the highest costs in the nation while paid the lowest benefits. Earlier in the year we passed the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act and it was enacted into law. This bill reforms the current system by lowering the costs of workers’ compensation and increasing the benefits. I am optimistic this bill addresses many of the concerns under the old system.

Another issue brought up at the meeting was transportation in Oswego County, specifically, the accessibility to public transportation. Accessing public transportation, especially in some of the rural areas in my district, has been an issue for a number of constituents. After I held the outreach meeting in June, I participated in a meeting held by the Oswego County Transportation Coalition. This coalition was created to improve access to community services throughout the county and is in the current stages of expanding the coordinated public transportation system. Improving access to public transportation will benefit residents, businesses and the entire community and I look forward to continuing to work with the coalition on this issue.

In addition to discussing these issues I shared my thoughts on reforming Albany and how to improve transparency in state government. It is my thought that if we enact substantial reform and shift more power to rank and file members, New Yorkers will see more responsive, effective governing. We have had some victories in the past and I will continue to fight for further reform.

Lastly, this meeting was an opportunity for constituents to use my office to obtain assistance in cutting through the red tape that accompanies the bureaucracy of government. I’m proud that my office provides excellent constituent services and I welcome you to contact my office if we can be of assistance.

I would like to thank those individuals who made it to my meeting. If you were unable to attend, but need assistance with a state-related matter, please feel free to contact my office.

Revitalizing Oswego’s Economic Engine

Bridge Street is the hub of activity for Oswego. For decades, Bridge Street has served as the engine of our city’s tourism center, with its many restaurants, pubs and small businesses that have contributed to the local economy and built our community. With this in mind, I feel the best thing we can do is boost revitalization efforts through an expansion of the state’s “Main Street Revitalization Program,” which provides grants to renovate downtown areas like Bridge Street.

Storefronts like these will benefit from the “Main Street Revitalization Program”

Assemblyman Barclay reads to a classroom of children.

As your Assemblyman, providing quality education to our children and providing property tax relief are two of my top priorities. This year, to stabilize property taxes and help our schools, I fought to increase school aid in the 2007-2008 Budget. The good news is that in this year’s budget, Oswego City School District’s state aid increases by $3 million! This additional aid will keep school tax levies down and will continue to support Oswego City School District’s efforts to provide a first rate education.

I recently partnered with the YMCA to provide state help with upgrades and renovations to the Armory on Bridge Street. The money is being used to improve the facility in a community-focused effort to add new programs and better serve Oswego. I am pleased to be part of these efforts and hope that you will be able to stop in and make use of the new and exciting programs at the YMCA.

Assemblyman Barclay awarded a legislative resolution honoring the 2007 SUNY Oswego NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Champions.

Local Libraries Get an Upgrade

Local libraries are the foundation of a well-educated population. It is important that we maintain our free public library system for the benefit of current and future generations. That’s why this year I helped secure construction aid for the Oswego School District Public Library system in the amount of $58,299 to be used to upgrade and improve the facilities.

Small Business Task Force Event

Assemblyman Barclay tours a local manufacturing plant.

Whether it is a mom and pop store, a small manufacturing operation or a local farm, each small business is an important part of the Oswego economy. As a leading member of the Assembly Minority Small Business Task Force, I brought the group to Oswego last year, as part of a statewide listening tour. We met with local business owners, officials and industry experts to hear their ideas of what government can do to improve New York state’s business climate. The consensus was that this state overburdens our small-business owners, making it exceedingly difficult to maintain – let alone expand – operations and create more jobs.

I support legislation aimed at reducing the tax burden and supported successful efforts to cut the Corporate Franchise Tax by $55 million this year, with additional reductions to come next year. This move will help create manufacturing jobs and allow companies to reinvest savings into the local economy.