A letter to Claudia Tenney

By Gwen Chamberlain Dear Representative Tenney: Congratulations on being elected to represent the newly formed Congressional District 24 in New York State. I hope your experience and skills will benefit our area and our residents, and I look forward to seeing how you become familiar with all of your constituents.

I know you live in nearby Ontario County, but I also know you are originally from Onondaga County, so I want to share some thoughts about the characteristics of our district that you might not be familiar with.

While you were stuck in the game of Festivus (Airing of Grievances) in the House of Representatives for a week, you might not have seen that the heart of our nation beats strong in your Congressional District and those nearby. Your constituents are among those who are inspiring America today.

How refreshing it would be if representatives in Congress could emulate what has blossomed from the Buffalo Bills and Cincinnati Bengals and their fanbases — reaching out to understand; reaching out to find solutions; keeping discussions civil and supportive.

I’m sure several join in my concern about the behavior of elected officials and political candidates over the past 12 years. We now look to you to take a leadership role in bringing civility to Congress. Influencing change in the Senate, Executive or Judicial Branches, may be too much of a hurdle, but perhaps you can start the trend that the late Amo Houghton had worked toward in the House of Representatives.

Since I am writing from Yates County, my closer focus here will be on our unique strengths and needs, where we are celebrating 200 years in 2023. That’s 200 years of citizens working hard to improve their community and the lives of family, friends, and neighbors.

Yates County is sometimes thought of as being in the middle of nowhere, but lifelong residents see this as a strength because we are really in the middle of everything. While there is no city within the county, Syracuse, Binghamton, Ithaca, Elmira, Corning, Geneva, Canandaigua, Rochester, Buffalo, are all within an easy drive. And if you need a real “big city” fix, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Boston, and even Washington D.C. aren’t far either.

We do have plenty of splendid vistas overlooking Canandaigua, Keuka, and Seneca Lakes. These lakes are not only valuable natural resources, they form the basis of our agri-tourism economy and our lives. We need to protect and preserve public access to these gems as fiercely as we protect their health.

Yates County residents benefit from the improvements that have come with growth in the wine, craft beer, distillery, and upscale dining businesses, but we are beginning to see stresses from the increased number of visitors.

Our public schools are challenged by declining enrollments, meaning our young people are not getting the same educational opportunities as cohorts in neighboring communities. When they leave for further education, they may want to return, but their career opportunities are limited.

We have to travel farther for many household and clothing retail options. Residents without their own transportation rely on limited and convoluted public transportation, friends, family, or other creative options.

Affordable housing options are limited with more properties being converted to short term rentals. This is having an impact on the agriculture and tourism economies because workers struggle to find a place to live.

Local property taxes are a major burden for residents, especially senior citizens hoping to hold onto properties that have been in their families for generations, which brings me back to what really makes Yates County so special.

Many residents are descendants of the early settlers who were followers of the Public Universal Friend. Many others have family trees with roots in Denmark, and more recent residents are members of the Mennonite community. With these cultural origins, it’s easy to see why the area is rich with close-knit community spirit that may be waning elsewhere.

That’s also why I’m asking you to work on our behalf to bring the same dedication, commitment, and teamwork to the House of Representatives that two N.F.L. teams and their fan bases have shown the world this week.

Reach out to understand. Reach out to find solutions. Reach out to Yates County. Please keep discussions civil and supportive, and keep all of your constituents in your heart as you show the world what our district is all about.

Do you have feedback on this or a suggestion for a future column? Feel free to email me at gchamberlain27@ gmail.com.

A letter to Claudia Tenney

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