New York's Senator
CHARLES E. SCHUMER

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE December 18, 2000

SCHUMER COMPLETES 2000 TOUR OF ALL 62 NY COUNTIES

Visit to Allegany Marks Second Year in a Row Schumer Has Visited Every County in New York State

US Senator Charles E. Schumer today completed his 2000 tour of all 62 counties in New York State, marking the second year in a row that he has visited every county. Schumer finished his county-by- county tour in Allegany during a visit to Dresser Rand.

"If there's one lesson I've learned in my two years serving the people of New York, it's that there's no substitute for traveling around the state and seeing the issues affecting New Yorkers in the flesh," said Schumer. "My meetings with local officials, tours of economic development sites, and visits to factories and farms have taught me volumes more than reading the newspaper or talking on the phone ever could."

Schumer's 2000 tour of New York included 16 trips to Erie County, 13 to Albany, 13 to Monroe, 14 to Onondaga, 17 to Suffolk, 13 to Westchester, 40 to Nassau and 7 to Rockland. Schumer also made multiple trips to Steuben, Chautauqua, Broome, Ontario, Dutchess, Oneida, Niagara, Oswego, Warren, Ulster, Tompkins and more.

"These visits have helped me see firsthand why we needed to bring JetBlue to Buffalo and Rochester and improve air service throughout the State," Schumer said. "They have helped me learn about the anxiety felt by Central New York landowners being targeted by the Justice Department's land claim lawsuits and they have shown me why our farmers need a federal government more responsive to their needs," Schumer said. "I've also had the chance to help on local issues around the State, like protecting jobs at the Watervliet Arsenal in the Capital Region and making sure the Franciscan Friars in Putnam County could keep their land."

Schumer's travels included economic development tours in Warren, Wayne, Tompkins and others, trips to state landmarks such as Niagara Falls Park and Auburn's Harriet Tubman House, business roundtables in Oneida, Seneca and Schuyler, and countless visits to local hospitals, nursing homes, colleges and factories.

"In 1998, I pledged to visit every county in the State in my first year in office. It was such a positive experience that I decided to do it again in 2000," said Schumer. "Throughout it all, I've been reminded of why New York is truly the Empire State."

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