Hugh T. Farley
Age: 78
Occupation: State Senator; Law Professor Emeritus
Residence: Niskayuna
Political Affiliation: Republican
Biography/Introduction:
Senator Hugh T. Farley grew up in Indian Lake and graduated from high school in Watertown. He is a graduate of Mohawk Valley Community College and SUNY Albany, and he obtained his law degree from the American University School of Law in Washington, D.C. He served in the U.S. Army in Germany, and taught Business Law at the University at Albany. As a State Senator, Senator Farley has served as the Chairman of the Aging Committee, the Environmental Conservation Committee, the Banks Committee, the Select Committee on Interstate Cooperation, and the Subcommittee on Libraries. He and his wife have three children and six grandchildren.
Why do you want to sit on the New York Senate?
I have been honored to serve as Senator, and enjoy working with constituents to ensure that their concerns and needs are heard and addressed. Our State faces many challenges, but the current leadership has been taking us in the wrong direction, and I am working to fix that.
How do you plan to deal with the current budget and how would you ensure this year’s budget fiasco doesn’t repeat itself?
Difficult choices need to be made, but cuts must be applied evenly in a way that is fair to upstate. We especially need to address Medicaid spending, which costs 70% more than the national average. One major disappointment is the failure of downstate leaders to hold required public conference committees.
What are your thoughts/ideas on how to give New Yorkers property tax relief?
I support a property tax cap, but we also need to aggressively pursue measures to reduce costly mandates and make governments and schools more efficient, including cost-effective consolidations. STAR helps, and I am alarmed by the chipping away at STAR and the repeal of the STAR rebate program.
Many New Yorkers are fleeing upstate, families and young adults alike. What will you do to encourage them and/or give them a reason to stay here?
New Yorkers need to see that their government is committed to policies that promote economic growth, support job creation, and reduce the crushing burden of taxes, fees and mandates.
Does anything need to change with the way state government functions? If so, what would you do to bring about change?
There are many problems with state government, and I support a number of reform initiatives. But one very basic issue is that government officials need to work together and remain focused on improving the economy and making it more affordable to live and work in this state.
Additional Comments:
No Comment
Susan Savage
Age: 49
Occupation: Chairwoman, Schenectady County Legislature
Residence: Niskayuna
Political Affiliation: Democrat
Biography/Introduction:
Since 2004 I have served as Chairwoman of the Schenectady County Legislature where I have focused county government’s efforts on creating jobs, rebuilding the economic base, and cutting county property taxes. When I became Chair, county government was as dysfunctional as the State Senate is today. We needed to make significant changes. We made job creation our priority and replaced a dysfunctional economic development effort consisting of 32 competing programs with one effective program, which has created 3,500 private sector jobs and attracted over $400 million in new investment. We also focused on identifying innovative ways to save taxpayers money and make government operate more efficiently, enabling us to cut county property taxes 4 of the last 6 years. I want to be a strong voice for the 44th Senate District and help the state legislature can get back to work doing what is important creating jobs and cutting taxes.
Why do you want to sit on the New York Senate?
The way to change the dysfunction Albany is to change the people we send there. Our community has been neglected for too long. We need a senator who will work to create jobs and cut taxes. I have done it in Schenectady County and we can do it in Albany.
How do you plan to deal with the current budget and how would you ensure this year’s budget fiasco doesn’t repeat itself?
30 of the last 34 budgets were late the process has been broken from beginning to end for decades. I would propose penalties for all legislators when budget law in broken, as well as an independent budget office so that time is not wasted disagreeing over false projected estimates.
What are your thoughts/ideas on how to give New Yorkers property tax relief?
Work to stop unfunded state mandates incumbents have placed squarely on the backs of families and businesses. 78-percent of the county budget is solely unfunded mandates! Yet, we have delivered property tax relief on the county level 4 of the last 6 years by making government more efficient and accountable.
Many New Yorkers are fleeing upstate, families and young adults alike. What will you do to encourage them and/or give them a reason to stay here?
The key to economic growth and stability is job creation. Much of Upstate has suffered population loss but our county has reversed that trend because we partnered with General Electric to create 650 new jobs at their Renewable Headquarters, and are doing the same with other businesses.
Does anything need to change with the way state government functions? If so, what would you do to bring about change?
We all recognize Albany has been broken for decades. I support independent redistricting because it will make legislators better at their job, as well as requiring full and open disclosure of all outside sources of income to avoid conflicts of interest. I also support campaign finance reform and term limits.
Additional Comments:
I have knocked on thousands of doors and what I hear is that people want someone who will be part of the solution to our concerns. While I’ve enacted a groundbreaking Canadian drug program to save taxpayers $10 million each year, my opponent has let the state budget grow 1000-percent since 1977; as we have delivered property tax relief 4 of the last 6 years, he voted for 680 tax increases just since 1989. In Schenectady County we have cut the size of the public workforce by 12-percent, nearly 250 positions, through thoughtful and fiscally responsible actions. My record is one of working with others to get the job done for taxpayers ` our families cannot afford for the state to do things the same way they always have. I am working hard to earn your support, and am running to be a strong voice for Upstate in the Senate.“
