SCHENECTADY GREEN PARTY

Alex Brownstein

 

- for Schenectady Co. Legislature -

District 3, Niskayuna/Glenville

Greens Are a Significant Voting Bloc:

In the 2014 NY gubinatorial election, the Green Party candidate won 10% of the vote in Schenectady County.  Projecting that number onto local elections, it's clear that we can have serious impact and role in shaping our communty's politics and policies.

 

I'm running for County Legislature to offer residents an alternative to entrenched 

Schenectady County politics.

 

On Governance Issues:

I will fight for openness and government accountability to:

• Make all government records freely accessible

• Ensure that deliberation is open and transparent and, unless confidentiality is truly essential, that there are no more back-room discussions or closed meetings when elected officials are conducting the people's business  

• Require that all substantive dealings and transactions are reported to the public (including which companies are getting tax breaks and how much they've donated to County politicians)

• Ensure that our county complies with -- rather than flaunts -- New York State Open Meetings laws.

• Commit the County to managing public funds wisely by following Santa Cruz County's example. They are refusing to do business (for 5 years) with the big banks that pled guilty to felony charges of conspiracy -- actions that led to the destruction of our economy.  Like Santa Cruz, our County should, "...only work with the most trustworthy institutions as we invest and protect the public’s tax dollars"     

• Ensure that local long-time small business owners receive equal treatment from Metroplex, whose support of new businesses is important but is also an unfair competitive advantage. New and old business should both be eligible for Metroplex support.

• Encourage the County to support the closure of LLC loopholes that allow one person or entity to make multiple contributions to a single candidate and circumvent existing NY state politial contribution limits

• Demand that Schenectady County does everything it can to prevent the passage of bomb trains through our community. On the right is a map of the potential blast zones in our county due to bomb train traffic 

 

On Environmental and Economic Issues:

I will also do whatever I can as a Legislator to stop or mitigate the ongoing destruction of our air, water, soil, health, weather patterns and  ecosystems -- and establish a sensible, sustainable and divisified economy. 

 

Specifically, on a County level, we can:

• Require all County contractors to use renewable energy

• Convert County-owned equipment, fleets and operations to renewables

• Divest from fossil fuel companies

• Develop an action plan to trim or remove trees preventing homeowners from installing solar panels (and help them plant replacement trees) 

• Support President Obama's efforts to increase pollinator habitat acreage for bees, butterflies and bats by allowing plants and flowers to grow naturally alongside our roadways, thereby reducing the time and resources spent by the County on mowing and trimming  

• Commit the County to participing in the international Pollinator Pathway, the Governor's Pollinator Protection Plan and similar projects by educating and supporting County resident's efforts to grow and connect pollinator-friendly habitats.  

• Interconnected habitats give endangered pollinators a realistic chance to migrate, feed and repopulate.  If we don't act, they -- and a good portion of our food supply -- will be gone forever  

 

For Long-Term Economic Vibrancy:

• Public jobs for the unemployed in public works and public services to meet community-defined needs, giving residents the experience and resumes they need to advance themselves  

• Encourage the development of sustainable, local hi-tech and low-tech businesses and support socially responsible "triple bottom line" entrepreneurs

• How? By being innovators. For example, we can promote and support companies interested in doing pilot studies of new clean technologies in our county

• Embracing smaller projects (rather than larger "moon shot" projects that could fail and leave us with nothing) is far more affordable, diversifies our investments and gives businesses the critical real-world proof they need to grow and secure further investment on their own

• This would attract clean energy businesses to our community, which, when added to GE's efforts, could establish our county as a leader in hi-tech manufacturing 

• Another example: With the new “walkable, bikeable and jog-friendly” bridge going up across the Mohawk on Rt. 146, the local vineyard, watercraft rental business and biking/hiking trails just yards away, and restaurants and shops nearby, we have an exciting opportunity to reinvigorate our economy based on the thriving biking, hiking and tourism industries that have helped sustain other Upstate communities 

• Diversifying our economic base beyond a casino economy is essential, as casinos (such as the Revel, Trump Plaza, and the Atlantic Club, just to name a few) have a tragic history of failure and causing blight in the communities where they’re located

 

I need volunteers to help with distributing campaign literature door-to-door in Niskayuna, making phone calls prior to the election, helping with mailings and providing rides to the polls on election day. We can also use help with staffing a Green Campaign Information table at events​ like Farmer's Markets and concerts in Central Park.

 

If you or someone you know would like to volunteer, complete the volunteer application and I'll be in touch soon!

 

Thanks for your interest in my campaign!

 

- Alex