By Peter Miller
An enthusiastic crowd of supporters took time from the excitement at the track on a Saturday in August to attend a fund-raising event for Saratoga Springs Supervisor Joanne Yepsen, the Democratic candidate for the New York State Senate from the 43rd district. One highlight of the event was an appearance by New York’s U.S. Senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, who made it clear she believes Yepsen is ideally qualified for the job.
This gathering also served as a celebration of sorts, for an important, long-delayed milestone had just been achieved in the drive to preserve the future of thoroughbred racing in New York State. New York’s Lottery Division had recommended Genting New York LLC to install and operate video lottery terminals at Aqueduct Race Track, which will provide desperately needed revenue and greater financial stability for New York Racing Association. With the expected signatures by Governor Paterson and state legislative leaders, this marks vital progress on an issue that Yepsen has championed for many years.
Senator Gillibrand introduced Joanne Yepsen to the attendees, saying, “This is a fantastic event for Joanne Yepsen. Let me say a few words about why she is the best candidate for the job. She not only cares about public service, she cares about people, and she cares about her community. She wants to make a difference in terms of how we create jobs in this county and this region. She understands how small business can be the engine for success and growth.”
Gillibrand noted that several Democratic County Chairs were at the event, including Larry Bulman from Saratoga County, Tom Wade from Rensselaer, and Sheila Comar from Washington County. Schoharie County Chair Cliff Hay also arrived shortly to lend his support.
“Before Joanne was involved in public service, she worked with not-for-profits to teach them how to raise capital and expand their services – to make sure they could reach more people in need, more people at risk. She is someone who has always had a vision about how to help people and let the tools of government work well for them, and she wants to address a number of problems in this region,” said Gillibrand.
“We have some of the highest property taxes in the country – not just in the state,” she said, “and that is something that drives businesses away and makes it difficult to compete. Joanne wants to work on the state level to drive those property taxes down, and to work with me on the federal level, so that I can get the kind of investments into this county and region – whether it’s money for water infrastructure or sewer systems or other infrastructure -- that will alleviate some of the burden of property taxes. If I can get rid of unfunded mandates like No Child Left Behind, that can alleviate them, as well, for regular families that are truly struggling.”
“I can’t tell you how many families I’ve met over the last several years, who have lived in their homes their whole lives and are now feeling that they have to move because of the property taxes. That’s just wrong, and we need to do something about that. Joanne and I intend to work together to change that,” Gillibrand said.
“Joanne is somebody who understands what makes this region special, what makes this region unique, and why people want to live here. Whether it’s the racing industry, or the beautiful homes, or the heritage, whether it’s the people and the culture – those are the things that draw people to this upstate region and make it the thriving, amazing community that it is.”
“I want to thank Joanne for her leadership, vision, dedication and her belief that she can make a difference, because at the end of the day, that’s what public service is about. Lastly, I want to thank every single one of you in this room. I can tell you that no one in this state or in the country can get elected without the help of the grass roots. Our democracy depends on people like you who care about electing candidates that share your vision, your priorities, your family’s values. So I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for electing this woman, because she will make a difference,” Gillibrand concluded.
Joanne Yepsen then addressed the group, saying that Kirsten Gillibrand has been a role model for her for many years and they will continue to work hard together for New Yorkers. She also thanked the county chairs from Rensselaer and Saratoga, the two counties in the 43rd district, saying, “Your support right from the start has made a huge difference, and we are now going gangbusters in both counties.”
“Every time I go to door-to-door and talk to people – which we are doing every single evening all over the district, and which is one of my favorite parts of the job -- I’m hearing that people are very fed up. Every time I go to another door, it gets me more and more motivated to serve this district. They are not being listened to. Nobody is responding to them. There is a desperate need for somebody to listen to their issues and respond. That’s exactly what I plan to do as senator.”
“New Yorkers are fed up first of all with weak leadership. The legislature is dysfunctional and the coup last summer was just a power-grab stunt. It was a huge disservice to our taxpayers and we’re still paying for it, still suffering from all of that. We need much stronger leadership on the state level.”
“ New York taxes are 79 percent higher than the national average. This is driving families out and businesses out. This is not what the job of government is; it is our job to make the state business-friendly and to lower taxes, so we’re encouraging families to raise their kids here, we’re encouraging a good educational system, and we’re encouraging small businesses to expand and to create jobs.”
“Education is a big issue everywhere I go around the district. Our students should be our highest priority. My opponent voted against schools in our state receiving over one-half billion dollars. Is this really true representation for us?”
“Small business owners are telling me every single day that they can’t do business in this state anymore. The racing industry is among them. Without a change for the better, they can’t survive. We have a great potential for revenue and agriculture support for the racing industry. It looks like the VLT deal that many of us have been working on for so long will finally come to closure in the next week. This is the first time in nine years that I’ve been able to say that. This represents 35,000 jobs and 43,000 acres of green space and many of us have worked hard to make it happen.”
“I am determined to make this one of the most business-friendly states in the nation from now on. This year, we’re giving voters a choice – something they haven’t had recently. Do we want a state senator who will have a strong voice at the table with U.S. senators and with our next governor and other state leaders, someone who will stand up for us, or do we want one who merely shakes his fist and complains, with no new solutions, and just votes ‘no’?”
“Do we want a senator who will work across party lines – as I’m so used to doing – or one who uses his minority status as an excuse for not doing anything? Are we happy with the status quo in New York State, or do we want new leadership with new ideas and new results? Roy McDonald is the past and I am your future.”
“We also need more women in the state senate. There are currently only nine women out of 62 senators, and that is not representative of the population we serve. Kirsten can attest to the fact that we need more women in leadership positions, and I will be happy to add to that statistic,” she concluded.
U.S. Representative Paul Tonko added his support for Yepsen, saying, “We have an ideal candidate in Joanne Yepsen at this troubled moment in New York State government. We need thoughtful government, and there is no better training for this position than local government. All of her experience is relevant in transitioning to a brighter future in New York State government.”
“We need a more analytical approach from Washington DC on down to the state and local level. We need a progressive approach that will move us forward, not back – that will bring working families into focus. In Joanne Yepsen, we have a new day. She can instill hope for a better tomorrow.”
Schenectady Mayor Brian Stratton also spoke in support of Yepsen, saying he was delighted with the Democratic team that had formed in the region. “It’s a more challenging environment today with the increased polarization in government at all levels and resulting gridlock. We need to restore the Democratic majority in Albany to resume progress throughout New York and bring our cities back to prosperity.”
Will Zigler, with the Yepsen campaign, said that Joanne has worked tirelessly, lobbying state leaders to act on the New York State Lottery Division’s recommendation that Genting receive the contract for VLTs at Aqueduct. Just three weeks earlier, Yepsen and State Senator Eric Adams, Chair of the New York State Senate Racing Committee, held a roundtable at Saratoga National Golf Club to discuss the racing industry’s impact on the local economy.
Since Yepsen’s fundraiser, State legislative leaders and the governor have signed off on the deal. Yepsen has said the state could make one million dollars a day once these VLTs are operating, and the revenues could shore up NYRA and ensure a bright future for the Saratoga Track season for years to come. More information is available at www.joanneyepsen.com.