Two seasoned public servants are vying for the 126th Assembly District. Current Representative, Republican Gary Finch has been in office since 2000 and owns a small business. Democrat Diane Dwire is a Veteran, she once chaired the Onondaga Democratic Committee. Finch says he has several initiatives he wants to accomplish including green algae issues in Owasco Lake and the heroin epidemic.
“The abuse and overdose is unbelievable. Five years ago there may have been one or two, that was it. We’ve reached that point” Finch said. “That’s the second issue, in economic development jobs, creating a level playing field for our businesses.”
On those topics, Dwire shares similar concerns. She recently proposed a plan to deal with heroin and opioids. She wants more long-term commitment from companies who are awarded state funds and more support for existing small businesses.
“We have some very good companies here, small businesses and large business that have been tried and true. They stay here. They’re not moving. They’re not going anywhere” Dwire said. “We really need to give them some different incentives to help them expand. Whether we’re doing tax incentives but we need to do something to reward them for what they’re doing for our community.”
Finch says people are in an uproar over ethics following the convictions of the former Speaker and Majority Leader of the Legislature.
“You can be around too long, believe me. Term limits are something we should be considering. Certainly term limits for leaderships positions, the speaker and chairmanships of committees” Finch said.
Both Finch and Dwire want pensions revoked for former elected officials who are convicted.
“Sometimes we just have to make sure that we utilize the laws, the rules, the regulation that we have and hold people accountable to them” Dwire said.
The 126th Assembly District oversees portions of Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland and Onondaga counties.