Issue Position: The Environment

Issue Position

1) Create Green Jobs, Right Here, Right Now: Green jobs are no longer just about engineers and developers searching for the next breakthrough in alternative energy. The fact is, if we invest in the right training programs, the vast majority of the green workforce will be made up of blue collar contractors, construction workers, electricians and community service organizations which create pathways out of poverty.

The Brookings Institute recently reported that the Capital Region has the highest share of clean energy jobs of any metro area in the nation. President Obama called Albany NanoTech"s clean energy cluster a model for the nation. Together, we can use our local expertise to transform our communities into the model for smart, sustainable development.

As your representative in the Assembly, I will work to pass the Solar Jobs Act, which will create thousands of jobs, benefit the environment and reduce energy costs by adding 3,000 megawatts of solar power to the grid over next decade. I will coordinate with community leaders to take advantage of New York's first-in-the-nation Green Jobs Green New York Program. This program undertakes neighborhood energy-efficient renovations to cut utility bills and provide local workers with family-wage jobs.

2) Transportation Choices: New York was the birthplace of transportation choice. The cities in our state which invested in multi-modal transit systems, including planes, subways, commuter rail, bicycles, buses, and walkable streets, continue to thrive economically. Now, as America goes through a small renaissance in transportation choice, spurred by the need for efficiency and health and by the recognition that better transportation means a better economy, New York should again lead the way. Cities like Detroit, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, all traditionally centered around the automobile, have recently invested in light rail, bike paths and multi-modal-friendly community planning. I will work in the Assembly to ensure that New York provides these same resources to our communities, so we can retain our strategic advantage as the national center of high-quality transportation. Part of this work will include championing local efforts such as expanding the Hudson-Mohawk Rail Trail.

3) Due Diligence on the Impact of Hydraulic Fracturing: I support a continued moratorium on high-volume hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") while we continue to lack information on possible harmful effects of the process. The natural gas in the Marcellus shale deposit is not going anywhere; we can afford to look after our communities' safety. We cannot undo serious, unforeseen damage, should the drilling process turn out to be unsafe. If New York is going to permit fracking, we must be diligent in protecting the health and well-being of our communities. Before permitting a single well, we must complete a comprehensive review of the potential impacts of fracking on both the environment and on New Yorkers.

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