2020 Government Affairs
Candidate Scorecard
The Government Affairs and Economic Development council of the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce sent out a Candidate Questionnaire to all candidates running for office in districts relevant to our membership. The candidates were asked to provide their candidate and campaign information, chamber affiliations, top 3 planks of their campaign, top 3 issues impacting businesses in their district, and lastly their reflections of support for the Chamber’s Public Policy Positions. We included a summary of the Chamber’s most recent and relevant Public Policy Positions and the candidates were asked to rank their level of support for those positions. To view a copy of the questionnaire, please click here.
Candidates measured their support on a scale rating of 1-5
(5=Strongly Agree, 1=Strongly Disagree)
Their score is based on the average of their ratings for each of the answered positions. The Government Affairs and Economic Development Council’s purpose in publishing this feedback is to educate our Membership as to which candidates most strongly support the Chamber’s pro-business policies. Please see below for a snapshot of each candidate’s response.
Please note: If a candidate chose not to respond, despite our best effort to encourage responses in order to publish this information to our 575+ member businesses and organizations, they received a “0” score and they are listed at the bottom of this email.
New York Congressional District 22
Anthony Brindisi-Democrat
Score=4.1
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
Access to Affordable Healthcare – I believe everyone should have access to quality, affordable health care. We need to work to fix the ACA by tackling the problem of higher premiums and controlling health care costs.
Growing the economy for businesses and workers – In order for our region to thrive, we must build a diverse economy that strengthens the middle class by focusing on manufacturing and technology, small business creation, agriculture, education and career training.
Working with both sides of the aisle to deliver results for our area – The 22nd District deserves a representative who has proven their ability to work across party lines and with elected officials at all levels of government. As one of the most bipartisan members of Congress, I am working with Democrats and Republicans to find commonsense solutions to real-world problems. Over 95 percent of my bills are bipartisan and every bill I introduce has a Republican co-sponsor.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
Recovering from the hits taken throughout COVID- With small businesses hurting, I took action and worked with Democrats and Republicans to cut red tape and reduce the restrictions on PPP relief. I was an original co-sponsor of the PPP Flexibility Act, which was signed into law.
Businesses being moved overseas – I partnered with local entrepreneurs to require the Department of Defense purchase American-made flatware, which is manufactured in Upstate NY and will bring millions of dollars to the local economy. I also introduced the Made in America Emergency Preparedness Act, which would require critical pandemic supplies to be made in America.
Healthcare costs – employer health care costs are too high. I have passed bipartisan legislation to repeal an ACA health insurance tax that threatened to raise costs for employer-sponsored care. I have also supported Chamber-endorsed legislation that would makes plans on the individual and small group markets more affordable.
Claudia Tenney-Republican
Score=5
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
My first priority is to rebuild and restore our economy – which was growing jobs and wages at a record pace before the pandemic struck. As a small business owner, I know firsthand how devastating the economic shutdown has been for our small businesses, so we need to both re-open our economy as fully, quickly, and safely as possible and get direct assistance to struggling businesses so they can get back on their feet. We cannot raise taxes or pile on regulations just when our economy is recovering and I will oppose any effort to hurt our business community as it rebounds.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
The top issues in the district are opening up the economy and delivering direct COVID relief to struggling businesses, maintaining a healthy business environment with lower taxes and smart, but limited regulation, and restoring America’s manufacturing bases by getting tough on China’s cheating, stealing, and lies on trade.
Keith D. Price Jr.-Libertarian
Score=4.1
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
Constitutional rights, government transparency, and fiscal responsibility.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
Government overreach in policies, far too many regulations, and taxes are too high.
New York State Senate-51st District
Peter Oberacker-Republican, Conservative, Independence
Score=4.6
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
- Lowering taxes and creating a climate for businesses to thrive and bolster our economy. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, we must ensure business owners get the help they need to create jobs.
- Repealing the dangerous bail reform and keeping dangerous criminals off of the streets. Supporting first responders and men and women in uniform who protect us day in and day out. Without safe communities, our businesses cannot survive.
- Fight unfunded mandates placed on the counties that put undue burdens and stress on employers and employees.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
All businesses have taken the brunt of New York’s out of touch spending and extreme legislative agenda, and now, we must ensure that COVID recovery does not fall on their backs.
Placing undue mandates and the burden on our small businesses and local governments will only put a stranglehold that will crush our local economies and lead to rising declining revenues and rising local taxes.
So in short, taxes, undue burdensome regulations and the unfriendly business climate in New York, are just a few issues that plague our businesses owners. As a business owner, I know.
New York State Senate-53rd District
Russ Penner-Libertarian
Score=4.5
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
Individual Freedom from government control and regulation, even in commerce.
Advancement of alternative candidates and parties outside the enfranchised two parties.
Lowering or abolishing all the various taxes that pay the government to tell us what to do.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
Restriction of commerce by government regulation.
Restriction of commerce by executive orders.
Regulation by myriad government departments of this and that. This creates a culture of not trusting business owners and operators to do the right thing.
Sam Rodgers-Republican, Independent, Conservative, SAM
Score=4.6
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
My campaign is based on three main things: Listening, learning, and advocating.
An effective representative needs to be present throughout his district to listen to the needs of constituents. Not just be hear them, but listen and be willing to dive in.
I also need to be willing to admit when I am not an expert and be willing to learn from those who are. There are many subjects in which I am not an expert, but this district is vibrant and full of people who know their industries and whose ideas need to inform my votes.
The whole point of an elected representative is to advocate on behalf of the constituents. Once I have listened to the issues and learned what your preferred solutions would be, it is my job to take your case to the senate floor and fight for what this district needs. In order to be an effective representative, I need to make your issues my issues.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
First and foremost, the Governor’s restrictions borne of the COVID-19 pandemic need to be scrutinized and begun to be rolled back. Upstate New York has handled the pandemic well and our region is beginning to bounce back, but 50% capacity in mom and pop restaurants will not pay the bills in December and January.
Second, New York has been home to one of the worst business climates nationwide for years now. Burdensome regulations and mandates make running a business incredibly difficult, and starting a new business near impossible. Our State legislators have failed to curtail spending and government intervention has gotten out of hand. It is time for a leader who will work for and with businesses and working people in New York.
Finally, people need to be incentivized to rejoin the economy. Caution is important, but encouragement to support business through tax incentives is what will make a real difference. Business leaders needs support, but consumers do as well right now.
New York State Assembly-101st District
Brian D. Miller-Republican, Independence, Conservative
Score=4.7
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
The state barely provides enough funding to manage the declining condition of our infrastructure. We cannot maintain our roads and bridges in their current state, let alone upgrade them. Additionally, too many residents in rural regions still do not have broadband access.
Even before the governor’s proposal to withhold school aid to offset a loss of tax revenue due to COVID-19, our schools were woefully underfunded, especially in our more high-needs school districts. We cannot expect a bright future for our state if we aren’t providing our schools with the proper resources to provide the best possible education to our children.
Our economy continues to struggle, even more so now, and we have too many residents out of work. The jobs the state is bringing in are not well-paying jobs for the most part. The millions of dollars the governor has wasted on his flawed and failed economic policies have yielded little in return. We need good, local jobs.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
COVID-19 has hurt our local businesses immensely. Many have been forced to close their doors for good after the state shutdown. The one’s that are left standing are barely hanging on. The state needs to support local businesses and provide them with anything we can to keep them afloat until they are back to full strength.
The state has made “economic hunting” the core of its economic development policy. It spends millions of dollars trying to poach companies from outside the state and promises them millions in tax incentives. These efforts have yielded few jobs and been a waste of tax dollars. I believe the state should adopt a policy of “economic gardening” and invest in local businesses to help them grow and create good jobs.
Taxes are always the big issue in our state. We have one of the worst tax climates in the nation. While large companies are getting millions in tax incentives, small businesses continue to struggle under oppressive unfunded mandates from the state.
Barbara Kidney-Green
Score=2.7
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
- Tax reform to strengthen local and state economy, by eliminating property taxes on primary non-luxury residences, and raising the standard deduction on state income taxes to reflect the cost of living in one’s general area, while fairly and incrementally raising tax rates on surplus wealth. Provide tax subsidies when needed to local farms and businesses that provide community-enhancing services, and ending tax subsidies to huge corporations whose new projects devastate local properties, businesses, and public health.
- Promote public/environmental and climate/fiscal health via closing toxic fuel projects asap, banning new ones including pipelines, aiding a transition to community-controlled renewable energy asap, thus resulting in better public health and useful permanent jobs and opportunities for career advancement.
- Institute ranked choice voting in all state elections, as Maine now does, to promote real democratic choices– no more so-called effect when RCV is in place.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
- Covid, for obvious reasons, which include decreased clientele and income for so much of the local economy, often geared toward tourism, recreational shopping, eating and drinking out, public gatherings & events.
- Climate change– rainier summers, warmer winters without snow, increase in “weather events” with high winds, flooding, ice storms. Many businesses rely on seasonal tourism and just the ability of people to be out and about doing seasonal things, which is adversely impacted by the change in climate patterns. Local farms are negatively impacted by this, for obvious reasons.
- Cost of private health insurance for employees negatively impacts the profitability of businesses.
New York State Assembly-118th District
Robert J. Smullen-Republican
Score=4.5
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
- Reducing taxes in the most heavily taxed state in the Union.
- Reducing burdensome regulations which weigh down our economy and make us less competitive with other states and countries for jobs.
- Allowing great freedom of liberty for ourselves and our children
These high tax, high regulation policies have prevented our economy from bouncing back from the COVID-19 pandemic and cause the greatest outmigration in all 50 states.
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
- Small businesses have not received adequate support from State Government. My “JumpStart NY” initiative is designed to repurpose lower priority state resources to the higher, immediate need of our small businesses survival.
- Dairy prices set by the Federal Government do not reflect the high cost of doing business in New York. Early in the pandemic, we fought for Federal support, which needs to be adjusted going forward to allow our farmers to compete regionally.
- Broadband access in rural areas is paid lip service. We need it now more than ever for commerce, and for the education of our children and for our families working from home. It is a right to communicate, which is enabled by a 21st Century necessity.
New York State Assembly-119th District
Marianne Buttenschon-Democratic, endorsed by Independence
Score=4.4
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
- Advocating for good jobs
- Safe and healthy communities
- Schools
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
- COVID Crisis
2. Lack of employees - Unknowns for the future of their business
New York State Assembly-121st District
Dan Buttermann-Democrat
Score=3.1
Top 3 Planks of Campaign:
- Education
- Energy
- Economic Development
Top 3 Business Issues in District:
Pre-COVID-19 my ideas for business support and development were about incentivizing entrepreneurship in Upstate New York by using programs already in place, such as StartUp New York. This program is could be particularly valuable to the 121st because there are five colleges in the district, so a distinct advantage for this program since it requires participation with colleges. However, with COVID-19 those plans are still there, but the focus is on reopening and not losing any businesses due to the pandemic and the resultant shutdown. The pandemic has had a massive impact on business in Upstate New York, and the recovery will take much longer than one year. I hope to work in the Assembly on plans and initiatives to handle the budget deficit and find ways to support business reopening and regrowth in Upstate New York.