Sen. Aubertine Discusses Commission On Rural Resources, USDA Letter

by: robert.harding

Fri Feb 27, 2009 at 15:00:00 PM EST

Today, I had an opportunity to conduct a phone interview with Sen. Aubertine to discuss his vision for the commission, whether or not high speed rail fits into the infrastructure equation of the commission's goals and his joint effort with Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand to make sure that locally grown foods end up on the lunch trays of local students.

The goals of the commission were outlined in a press release Wednesday, which were the following: Research and draft legislation regarding farm-to-fork programs, green energy, green jobs and green partnerships, re-thinking upstate infrastructure and rural health care. While he reinstated his support for those being the goals of the commission, Aubertine offered his own vision.

"The level of activity (of the commission) may increase a bit in large part because of the economy," Aubertine said. "Though agriculture is an important issue of mine, there are a lot of other issues. Rural health care is a huge issue. This commission could serve as a clearinghouse for a lot of discussions, whether it's agriculture, energy, green jobs. We can use this commission as a point of contact between the legislature and advocates."

Aubertine also stressed the importance of education in the process, listing several upstate New York colleges and universities like the University of Rochester, SUNY Morrisville and others who can help in areas like agriculture, researching green energy and green jobs, among other things.

In talking about infrastructure, I brought up high speed rail to Aubertine. He said that this has "been part of the dialogue with the stimulus package and in this state for a long time." And while he certainly wouldn't brush it off, Aubertine said his focus would be on providing more transportation for the disabled and seniors in rural areas where such transportation now is not readily available.

"The infrastructure now is lacking," he said. "We need more bus routes for seniors and enhance existing bus routes. Buses are a way of lessening the burden of cost and impact on the environment. It is more cheaply, with less cost to the environment. With biofuels, there are a lot of possibilities."

When asked what he thought the commission could do in terms of development, Aubertine argued that the commission could certainly be an important part of revitalizing upstate.

"[The commission] can play a pivotal role as a clearinghouse for advocates and looking at the legislature who may deal with land use development, energy and serve as a touch point for advocates for additional funding," he said.

Aubertine added: "The commission has been successful in the past. There is a real possibility of advancing issues and this commission can be a positive influence."

In addition to the news about the commission this week, Aubertine has joined Sen. Gillibrand in writing a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack asking Vilsack to review an interpretation of processed foods to allow local produce be bought and used by local school districts. In a press release today (which you can read below the fold), Aubertine had this to say about the provision that currently prevents local produce to be used in schools because of its "processed foods" label.

"The program requires these healthy snacks be served outside of the school meal programs, so where is the logic in calling fruits and vegetables 'processed' simply because they come to the school ready to be served and eaten outside of the lunchroom?" Sen. Aubertine added.

Aubertine is certainly making a name for himself and fighting for his rural district in the process. Kudos to him for his efforts and congratulations to Aubertine for being named the latest chair of the Rural Resources Commission.

Sen. Aubertine Named Chair Of Commission On Rural Resources

by: robert.harding

Wed Feb 25, 2009 at 15:21:57 PM EST

Today, it was announced that Sen. Darrel Aubertine will serve as the chairman for the New York State Legislative Commission on Rural Resources. This commission is in place to develop economic development policies that will spur growth in rural upstate New York.

Under the leadership of Aubertine and Vice-Chair, Assemblyman David Koon (D-Perinton), the Commission will be dedicated to creating policies that will boost economic revitalization in rural communities throughout Upstate.   The commission works directly with a network of more than 10,000 rural residents, advocates, researchers and community and business leaders across Upstate.

 "Because of his personal and legislative experiences, Senator Aubertine is a natural choice to lead this commission and help us in our efforts to promote policies that will benefit Upstate New York," said Senate Majority Leader Malcolm A. Smith.   "For the long-term economic growth and revitalization of rural New York, we need a strong commitment to job creation and sound economic development. This commission, driven by substantive public policies initiatives will help cultivate a new economy for Upstate New York," said Smith.

This is the second leadership post for Senator Aubertine, who in January, was chosen to lead the Senate's standing Committee on Agriculture.

"Certainly, I'm honored to have been chosen by the leader to head this commission," Sen. Aubertine said. "As chair of the Agriculture Committee and now as chair of this Commission on Rural Resources, I will continue to promote our state's agriculture industry and advocate for the day to day needs of our rural communities. But in addition, this Commission can play a tremendous role in creating policy and legislation to get our green economy, the industries of the future, up and running."

With Assemblyman David Koon serving as the vice-chair of the commission, Aubertine will be charged with pushing ideas that will lead to economic growth and job creation in rural New York.

According to the press release, the commission will be charged with creating legislation that focuses on these areas:

1) Farm to Fork: This Commission will promote programs which build bridges between our state's farmers and organizations, such as schools, colleges, nursing homes and correctional facilities. This opens up new markets for our state's agriculture industry and provides healthy, local food for these organizations.

2) Green Energy: Agriculture and rural New York can play a key role in the development of alternative energy technologies, manufacturing and production of wind, nuclear, hydropower, solar, biodiesel, cellulosic fuels including ethanol, and other clean energies. With global warming and international conflict forcing our nation to look beyond foreign oil and other fossil fuels, Upstate New York can capitalize on this market trend to create jobs.

3) Green Jobs/Green Partnerships: In addition to green energy, Upstate has a growing industry for environmentally sustainable products which we need to cultivate. By developing incentives for these industries to locate here in New York, working with local small businesses, and through partnerships with SUNY and private universities to advance these innovations, this Commission will work to bring manufacturing jobs back to Upstate.

4) Re-thinking Upstate Infrastructure:   If Upstate New York's economy is going to grow, we need to make sure we can by laying the necessary groundwork for economic viability. This includes maintaining and improving infrastructure for water, sewer, roads, and mass transit, as well as broadband Internet.

5) Rural Healthcare: A key component for improving the quality of life for rural New Yorkers and enticing business investment is improving access to healthcare through programs to recruit more doctors to rural areas, telemedicine and increased awareness of programs available to maintain demand for specialized services.