We in Central New York have experienced our fair share of tough times. For years we struggled with a stagnant local economy. Unfortunately, just as things were looking up and our area was beginning to establish itself as an economic player, our nation's economy received a devastating blow and the local economy is suffering because of it. The problems of Wall Street became the problems of Main Street and we've found ourselves struggling once again. But I know things can and will get better because my experiences as a businessman and entrepreneur have demonstrated to me the talent and motivation of our local workforce. Despite the sizeable hurdles that lie ahead and the bleak national forecast, I remain confident that we can turn Central New York's economy around.

Last year, we took steps in the right direction by reforming New York's outdated workers' compensation laws to help make New York more business friendly and saving employers more than $1 billion over the next few years. We were also successful in securing state funding to invest in the Central New York economy. I am going to continue to fight to cut taxes and business costs to help spur the Central New York economy.

Also, with increased investments in cutting-edge renewable energy technologies, Central New York is primed to be the center of the state's new energy economy. Central New York's world-class educational institutions and existing industry position us well for the green energy economy. Embracing this new energy economy will help create good-paying jobs and slash energy prices. With a skilled workforce already in place, we could reap multiple benefits in a relatively short amount of time. New York must now take the lead and encourage new energy businesses to build and expand in Central New York.

Alongside the work we're doing in Albany, the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York (MDA) is developing an environmental and energy-systems cluster to make Central New York a hub of the environment and energy systems sector. A 2007 report commissioned by the MDA found that Central New York has promising opportunities in the production of biomass energy and in the development of fuel cell technologies - cutting-edge means of generating clean energy while eliminating waste and the harmful byproducts associated with fossil fuels. The report also found that there are opportunities for Central New York to become a center in the indoor environmental quality industry, which focuses on determining air quality in offices and other building environments. According to the MDA report, in 2005, 2,400 people in Central New York were employed in the indoor environmental quality industry. An increase in demand for home indoor air quality measurement and the expansion of the residential air-filtration market are examples of the growth opportunities our region can take advantage of in this emerging field. It's also important that we continue to invest in the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems to help create jobs in environmental and energy technologies.

I also urge anyone who is struggling to find a job to look into the retraining programs available through the state and federal governments. Visit www.labor.state.ny.us or www.dol.gov for more information. The Metropolitan Development Agency of Syracuse and Central New York also provides workforce development programs; call 422-8284 or visit their Web site for more information.

These are difficult times; there's no way around it. But with solid investments in Central New York's economy, I know we can begin to turn things around.