The Republican candidate for lieutenant governor in New York state is spending part of today in the North Country.
Chemung County Sheriff Chris Moss says his message is aimed at the area around Fort Drum, and that he and gubernatorial candidate Rob Astorino know how important that military base is to the local economy.
“Over $1 billion I think last year alone goes out to the community," Moss said. "So Fort Drum is very important to that part of the state. It’s important that we keep it open and keep jobs there.”
Moss also says he and Astorino will fight for the base, if need be. The Republican says there are times when state government has an impact on what happens at the federal base.
“Recently they wanted to increase the buffer zone around Fort Drum," Moss explained. "There’s $1 million in state funds to match $1 million of federal funds to make sure we can do that. So that they can continue training. So they can have drones in that area. So the state and federal governments partnered up on good initiatives. And this is a good one because of the economic issues that Fort Drum brings.”
Moss says his visit dovetails with the campaign's message about creating a state that’s more business friendly. Moss believes if there’s one thing that could bring the upstate economy back, it would be reducing all the regulations businesses in the state need to deal with.
