New York State of Mind

I ride Amtrak. As seasons change, I watch the river freeze, then thaw; birds nest, then fly south; ships move cargo and fuel; trucks navigate rural roads; towns wake up and cities fall asleep; cars cross the bridges and children play.

New Yorkers know where they belong, upstate or down. I was born in the city and now live in Saratoga. The Staten Island of my youth, however, was more rural than most American cities. It was like an upstate county. New York is a state of mind.

We are one state. We are interdependent and we need each other more than ever. The economic and financial crisis has devastated Wall Street. Yes, there was greed but that is no reason to take joy in the pain. Wall Street’s losses decreased taxes collected; which devastated the state budget and kept resources out of school districts, closed parks, threatened hospitals, homeless shelters, and deprived upstate cities and towns of financial support.  

There is more. Few northerners ride subways but many earned their living building rail cars, components, and support systems. It matters all over the state: in the Southern Tier, Central New York, and the North Country it matters whether the MTA buys from local manufacturers. Their failure to support New York companies causes unemployment upstate, takes food off tables, and makes it harder for parents to send their kids to college.

We know that climate change is an imminent threat and a statewide partnership can help. We need to decrease our consumption of oil and develop new and safe technologies to save energy. Most New York City buildings were constructed before strict energy conservation was needed. They waste an enormous amount of energy. Upstate universities are developing new technologies that can help. Small manufacturing companies in Hoosick Falls, Syracuse, Schenectady, and Rochester have developed innovative products. Their supply chain includes companies across upstate.

There is hope. I recently participated in a constructive meeting with industry and labor leaders from New York City, a variety of universities, energy companies, venture capitalists, and others where small upstate companies presented their products. We are partners in a $130,000,000 proposal to the federal government that would support research at universities and technology transfer to innovative companies helping to promote energy conservation in older buildings. I saw a level of cooperation to make this state proud. New York City folks were mostly concerned with how these products could decrease energy consumption and create local jobs. They listened and valued my comments when I discussed the relationship between their needs and the economy of small towns and cities. This understanding strengthens our position as we explain the proposal to federal agencies. We need everyone to see the connection between upstate manufacturing and the downstate market.  I was inspired by this group’s ability to make these connections.

It is self defeating to see ourselves as separate, culturally distinct, and autonomous. We are one state, interdependent and capable of supporting one another.  We still have preferences about where we live: urban, suburban, or rural. Our cultural choices may be Broadway or bluegrass. Some of us like both.  What is more important is that we respect each other’s choices and recognize that we need one another. We have one state government and budget. We vote for leaders who must consider all of our interests and expect them to articulate a statewide perspective. New York needs subways and farms and smaller upstate communities need jobs. The Big Apple’s buildings need to be retrofitted to conserve energy. Universities throughout the state need federal grants to support research and small businesses need support to innovate and grow. New technologies are only valuable if they can be brought to market. New York City is a monster market.

Organized labor has a significant role to play in this renewal process. Union members are well trained, work to the highest standard; know what works and how to get things done. For example, Gary LaBarbera, President of the NYC Building and Construction Trades Council, recommended that our next meeting include representatives of the NYC Department of Buildings.  They manage implementation of building codes and will need to pass on any innovations.

WDI continues to advocate for a statewide perspective in all of our work. We model this by partnering with NYC’s Consortium for Worker Education (CWE). WDI and CWE are a team that bridges the upstate/downstate divide. Our shared values and actions support all the working families of New York State, wherever we live.

Our economic and energy crises are a catalyst for cooperation. I look forward to stronger partnerships.