Current Issues

Agriculture Issues

The Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with Geneva Community Health will be hosting a film and book event for the curious consumers in the Finger Lakes. This event will be held on October 14, 2010 at 7pm at the NYS Agricultural Experiment Station, 630 West North Street (Jordan Hall), Geneva.

The event will include viewing a 55-minute documentary, "The Other Side of Immigration", which was filmed, edited, directed and produced by Roy Germano. This film sparks a more objective and creative conversation about immigration reform and America's responsibilities to Mexico. Germano interviewed more than 700 families left behind by U.S.-bound migrant workers and exposed Mexico's most crippling economic hardships including the effects NAFTA has on poor farmers, the country's vicious cycle of poverty spurred by a corrupt government, and the social pressures on Mexicans to seek a better way of life.

"I hope those who see my film walk away feeling more connected to a population that they may have misunderstood or not known very much about, realizing that most people-Mexican or American, citizen or immigrant-are more similar than we are different, motivated to survive, take care of our families and be recognized for our inherent worth as human beings," Germano said.

The event will also consist of a book signing by Tom Rivers, the author of Farm Hands: Hard work and hard lessons from Western New York fields. The book covers the challenges of producing food and the hard work needed to harvest fruits and vegetables.

This event is free and all are welcome to participate in an exclusive Q&A session with the film's director immediately following the film. Local food and wine will be provided at a preshow reception. For more information call (315) 531-9102.

 

Unshackle Upstate

The Geneva Area Chamber of Commerce has been a partner and enthusiastic supporter of Unshackle Upstate since its first year, and it has become even more urgent that we continue the fight to improve New York as an environment for living and doing business.

Unshackle Upstate was founded to sound the alarm and force our elected officials in Albany to address the problems that have diminished our once-vibrant Upstate region: anemic economic growth, population decline and, most disturbing, outmigration of our young people. Many of these problems were downplayed; others were made worse by the poor decisions of our state government.

In the three years since its founding, Unshackle Upstate has grown in membership - from two chambers of commerce to a bi-partisan coalition of more than 75 business and trade organizations that represents upwards of 45,000 companies, employing more than one million people. And it's grown in voice, now with one of the largest social networking organizations empowering taxpayers in Upstate New York.

Unshackle Upstate's message is simple: Before all of our children leave New York for greater opportunities in other states, let's create a New York in which they can thrive. Let's change the laws that hinder Upstate's growth and give our region a fighting chance in today's global economy. Unshackle Upstate's common sense agenda aims to reduce the cost of living and doing business in New York state and reverse the loss of private sector jobs that is forcing our taxpayers to go elsewhere.

The first step: urge all elected officials to pledge that legislation they support and vote for will not:

  • increase taxes;
  • add fees;
  • introduce new assessments; and
  • increase the state debt.

Decades of reckless spending, combined with a failure to pursue effective economic development strategies, have left our state particularly vulnerable to the effects of the global recession.

The 2009-10 state budget exacerbated those policy failures by increasing already unsustainable spending and taxation. Spending totaled about $132 billion - up nearly 9 percent from a year ago, and increased taxes and fees by $8 billion. 

Last April, 78 of the Legislature's 212 members heard Unshackle Upstate's concerns and voted against the traditional "three men in a room" budget (http://bit.ly/6lpnCv). Unshackle Upstate commends those members and will encourage more legislators to vote against unsustainable practices.

In the coming weeks and months, a variety of special interest groups from across the state will release their 2010 legislative agendas under the guise of creating "quality" or "green" jobs and a strong economy. In reality, the opposite occurs, as many of the items on these agendas actually place onerous burdens and mandates on private businesses, resulting in job-killing taxes and fees, as well as other impediments to economic development across Upstate.

Unshackle Upstate has taken its message directly to our legislators in Albany, and will continue to advocate until the overall business climate has improved and the cost of living, working, and running a business in New York is dramatically lowered. For that to happen, New York State will need real leadership.

In November 2010, New York voters will determine the outcome of every statewide office and all 212 legislative seats. Unshackle Upstate pledges that between now and then, we will keep voters informed on the issues that matter, as well as whom they can count to truly represent taxpayer interests in Albany

For more information, go to www.unshackleUpstate.com.