New York state Assemblywoman Pat Fahy is vying for a fifth term in the 109th district. The Democrat spoke with WAMC's Capital Region Bureau Chief Dave Lucas.
The 109th district includes parts of the City of Albany and the Towns of Bethlehem, Guilderland, and New Scotland. Fahy is challenged by Republican Robert Porter.
Fahy says the past eight years have gone by in a flash...
"And each year, in some ways, gets more challenging in terms of the economy or in terms of some of the social justice issues and economic justice issues that we face. And this year, of course, has been absolutely unprecedented. So I came in, not long after we were still working on the recovery from the 2009 recession. And, sadly, because of the pandemic, and related issues to that we are in the depths of another recession. And so my energy and my commitment to trying to work on behalf of small businesses and workers and schools in the capital region."
Fahy says the pandemic is presenting challenges for constituents and the state of New York.
"The fact that we are $14 billion in debt or a shortfall in the state budget is a massive number, even by New York standard. So that really hampers our ability to fund really important programs and initiatives. That said, I still hope that we will be able to get serious federal aid, as well as be creative with, uh, with raising revenue, particularly on multimillionaires. And to do their fair share, by the way, we need to do this in a fair manner. But we certainly need to look at revenue raisers because we have to save our businesses, particularly our small businesses, which are the lifeblood of the upstate economy. And we've got to get workers re employed, it's not enough to say that we're just going to help them and extend unemployment benefits, which we need to do. But we also have to give people hope."
Fahy says she has been working tirelessly promoting an Work Progress Administration program, modeled after the FDR-era type that would create green jobs to boost the economy while addressing what she characterizes as growing economic inequality in the state.
"So there's a number of social justice issues and economic justice issues, aside from some of the racial justice issues that that we know are hitting us. And overarching all of this, by the way, I should say, we cannot forget climate change, which is probably one of the overarching threats to our future."
Fahy says the this election is all about jobs and the economy.
