Lucas,
The path to economic recovery runs through many places in the North Country. For generations, we prospered with manufacturing and agriculture.
During the Cold War, Plattsburgh Air Force Base hosted strategic missiles, tankers, and bombers, anchoring our defenses in the Northeast. But now, that base has been closed for over two decades, and while Plattsburgh has enjoyed a great amount of recovery and growth, other towns are still coping with their losses. Much of our manufacturing in this district has been hollowed out after trade deals that favored multinational corporations over workers. Fort Drum is under threat from budget cuts and many of our small businesses across Northern New York are struggling to stay afloat.
Despite these challenges, we have assets that are the envy of the country -– abundant natural resources, a low cost of living, and an unparalleled quality of life. To move forward, we need leaders who will champion our region and reprioritize what made us thrive -– investing in talent at home.
Working families have heard the broken promises from Washington before, and the Trans-Pacific Partnership my opponent supports is more of the same. That’s why I will lead the fight against unfair trade deals until we have a level playing field to compete on.
When I see a padlocked factory, I think of the people who worked there, and the families that depended on those good-paying jobs. That’s the imperative we face -– invest at home today, or risk losing the next generation.
We can move forward together by boosting agriculture, expanding international commerce, modernizing our infrastructure, and investing in quality education to train tomorrow’s workers and prepare today’s workers for new jobs. And we can raise the minimum wage, provide paid family leave, and close the gender wage gap.
The North Country has the resources -– what we need is vigorous leadership that will champion our region in Congress. With your support, I will be that champion.
Thank you,
Mike Derrick