August 8, 2017
Picente Writes President Trump to Express Displeasure With Upstate New York Comments
Dear Mr. President,
The comments you recently made to the Wall Street Journal encouraging residents to leave Upstate New York were extremely disappointing and reckless.
I expect more from not only the President of the United States, but a fellow New Yorker. Especially considering you carried much of Upstate New York - including Oneida County - on your way to the White House.
Like many regions, much of our past success was built on an economy that no longer exists. We also were a military community that had our Air Force base ripped away and we have struggled dealing with the fallout of those blows for decades.
It hasn't helped that we are hampered by a business climate that is overregulated and overtaxed by our state government and at times makes it difficult to compete on a national and internationa l stage.
In spite of that, we have had many successes over the past 25 years however, including the transformation of the former Griffiss Air Force Base into the Rome Business and Technology Park which features several high-tech businesses and one of a handfulof licensed UAS Test Sites in the U.S.
When you came to our region during primary season and visited Griffiss InternationalAirport in Rome,you spoke of your sympathy for the plight of our region and pledged you would do all you could to help further the economic development and growth the Mohawk Valley has been experiencing as of late.
To openly urge our residents - many of which put their faith in you to help change this state and country for the better - to abandon their homes, families and friends is incorrigible.
And to, in essence, rub our collective faces in missing out on this economic opportunity is unacceptable. The hard-working, resilient people of this region deserve better.
Sincerely,
