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By COURTNEY POTTS
Observer-Dispatch
Posted Dec 14, 2008 @ 09:42 PM
Last update Dec 15, 2008 @ 01:27 AM
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UTICA — Gov. David Paterson will be in Utica today, and several area officials say the focus of his visit will be legislation regarding the collection of cigarette sales tax from Indian nations.
Paterson’s office issued a press release late Sunday night confirming his 10 a.m. appearance at the Utica State Office Building on Genesee Street, but would not comment on the purpose of the visit.
Assemblyman David Townsend, R-Sylvan Beach, said the governor's office told him the purpose of the visit is to sign the Indian sales tax legislation passed earlier this year by both the state Senate and the state Assembly.
The governor has until Dec. 23 to sign the bill for it to become law.
Read the whole thing here.
YOU GOTTA KNOW THAT DAVID PATERSON HAS MADE THE BIG TIME WHEN HE IS SPOOFED BY SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
THE SOMEWHAT CONSERVATIVE 'ST. LAWRENCE COUNTY NEWS AND REVIEWS BLOG' HAD SOME HIGH PRAISE FOR HILLARY YESTERDAY
Our next Senator will be challenged to visit St. Lawrence County as often as Hillary did
Whoever succeeds U. S. Sen. Hillary Clinton will be challenged to pay as much attention to the North Country as the former presidential candidate did.
Over the years, she made appearances at the St. Lawrence Seaway and Clarkson University, met with local Democrats and worked with County Administrator Karen Hilaire when she was St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce executive director.
The media and bloggers have been having a field day predicting who Gov. David Paterson will name to replace Clinton, now that she has been nominated by President-Elect Barack Obama to be the next Secretary of State. The “The Fix” blog from the Washington Post has even provided odds of selection for the many potential nominees.
Know as a hard worker, New York’s junior senator made multiple trips to the sparsely populated North Country most years since she was elected to the Senate. New York’s other U. S. senator, Chuck Schumer, has made far fewer trips north over the years.
As Clinton’s website points out, she has been actively involved with several issues in our region.
She has worked to expand broadband access and bring high speed wireless service to underserved rural areas in the North Country, In September 2007, the Senate approved $200,000 for the St. Lawrence County Regional Rural Broadband Expansion, designed to be a catalyst for the region’s entrepreneurial economy.
Clinton worked with the St. Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce and major corporations such as eBay to form the Northern Adirondack Trading Cooperative, which teaches North Country entrepreneurs, artisans, and producers how to utilize the Internet and grow their businesses online.
She has also been a supporter of regular, affordable air service in the North Country and has been a strong supporter of the Essential Air Service Program. The EAS subsidizes Cape Air service to Albany from the Massena and Ogdensburg airports.
