Standing United for New York State.

On Election Day this year the people of the North Country have a chance to reject the politics of division and fear. Republicans have desperately clung to power by exploiting the historical divisions in our state, to our great detriment.

If New York is to succeed as a state we must find common ground to develop solutions that will benefit the entire state. The Republican State Senate has shown itself unable or unwilling to do that. Their only goal is to cling to the reigns of power and block efforts to reform the dysfunctional system in Albany. Their most effective tool in that struggle has been to hand out pork and hope people won't notice the bloated pig of a State budget they are forced to buy with it.

Certainly Governor Pataki and the Assembly are not blameless in this shell game, but it is the sole lifeline holding the Republicans in power in the State Senate. As shown in the most recent report on NY State government by the Brennan Center, the Assembly has made the first few steps toward reform, while the State Senate has gotten worse.

If we really want Eliot Spitzer to be successful, the best way to ensure that is by electing people that will work with him to change the process. A Republican State Senate will have no interest in Spitzer being successful, since his success would only likely increase Democratic votes in future elections.

Locally, Tim Merrick is the best possible candidate to represent us in the new Spitzer era. He shares the goals of socially progressive and fiscally responsible reform New York needs to move our state forward. Much like the body in which she serves, Betty Little has shown herself to be counter-productive to the process of reform and she needs to be fired on election day. Regardless of whether the State Senate goes to the Democrats this year or 2008, Tim Merrick is the only candidate on the ballot for the 45th State Sentate district this year who will offer the North Country REAL representation.

Andrew Brockway is another representative we need. There will certainly be some points of friction between Speaker Silver and Governor Spitzer and I am confident Andy will advance the Spitzer agenda for reform. Janet Duprey has shown herself to be a typical Republican politician. The only things she has to run on is smearing and distorting Andy's past with personal attacks and spreading false fears about a New York City takeover.

The time has come to stand united for reform - it is not upstate vs. downstate - we are all in this together. Spitzer, Merrick, and Brockway are a team that will stand united for the people of New York State, let's stand with them on November 7.