Childcare
Our children are our future and we must strive to provide them with every opportunity—starting with high quality childcare. By eliminating waste due to mismanagement, funding for high quality childcare can be increased. More eligible children will be able to attend affordable childcare programs, giving them the best start in life, giving their parents the ability to hold jobs, and giving the local economy a boost by supporting local childcare businesses.
Investing in children is a smart business decision in a caring community. By investing in our youngest children, we can reduce the cost of government in the long run and save taxpayer dollars, build a stronger economy with a well-educated workforce, help to break the cycle of poverty, and create a strong foundation for a better life for families. It’s time to embrace the shared values that built a great Monroe County; it’s time for a new direction and a brighter future.
Climate Change
As I demonstrated during my 20 years as Brighton Town Supervisor, I am a friend of the environment and was honored to receive the CEI Elizabeth Thorndike Environmental Leadership Award in 2012. I repaired and added sidewalks, and installed energy saving street lights to ensure that people who wanted to walk or use mass transportation could do so safely and easily, and developed a bicycle and pedestrian trail plan. I proposed a referendum that voters approved by 4 to 1 to buy and develop park land in Brighton. I created the Brighton Farmers Market, which supports organic practices. As County Executive, I will continue to promote green transportation methods, preserve open spaces, plant trees, and encourage sustainable farming methods.
Crime
The recent high profile acts of violence in our city have touched the hearts of the entire community of Monroe. We all share the disbelief and grief exhibited at community vigils and within the impacted neighborhoods. We are one community, inextricably bound together, and when our center mourns we all mourn. We must transform our shock and grief into a shared resolve to address the root causes of violence. We must work together to ensure that our children are not another statistic. We must stand together against this tide of violence.
Jobs and Development
The Facts:
- In June 1997, 384,000 Monroe County residents had jobs. In June 2015, 352,400 Monroe County residents had jobs—a loss of 31,600 jobs and a tragedy for Monroe County.
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Average wages for those with jobs has not kept pace with inflation. In the fourth quarter of 2010, average quarterly wages were $11,603 and in the fourth quarter of 2014 (most recent available) they were $12,150—an increase of 4.71%. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index rose from 218.056 to 236.736, an increase of 8.57%. The cost of living has increased nearly twice as much as income for the average employed Monroe County resident.