| This is home. My grandparents moved here from Ireland 100 years ago, looking for a better life. My father worked for 42 years at New York Central Railroad, and my mother worked for the New York Telephone Company. Jen is an Elementary Reading teacher and I was an AP Biology and Chemistry teacher at West Genesee and the Syracuse City School District, each of us for almost 30 years. We love this community, it's where we've lived our entire lives and where we chose to raise our children - we want them to be able to stay here and start their own families.
After three decades as a public-school science teacher, I was tired of seeing things move the wrong direction, including decreases in funding and state government decisions that made it harder for kids to learn. That's why I ran for State Senate. And we proved that when we bring together people in both parties, we can deliver big results for Upstate-
I led the fight to pass the Green Chips legislation and help bring Micron to Syracuse which is going to create 60,000 new high-paying jobs across our region.
I accelerated Middle Class tax cuts and provided property tax relief to help families save money.
I created the first new police department in New York in half a century, here at Syracuse airport - helping keep our airport open and passengers safe, while it grows to meet future demand.
And, together, we passed laws to protect a woman's right to make her own personal health care decisions.
We need someone in Congress who will wake up every morning thinking about how to deliver for Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, remembering the challenges of the past. Someone who will work with Republicans and Democrats to create good paying jobs, bring down costs for working families, care for our veterans, improve public safety, provide world class education for our kids and guarantee a woman's right to choose. That's what I've been able to do in the State Senate, and what I'll do in Congress. |