Chuck's Activities in Central Region
Here's some highlights of what Chuck has done for Central New York. For a complete index of Central New York related press releases, please scroll down or click here.

• Chuck wooed lowcost airline JetBlue into initiating air service from New York City to Upstate New York, beginning with Buffalo and Rochester and arriving in Syracuse in May 2001.
  
  

• 	Senator Schumer visits Madison County to discuss alternative energy sources in July 2003.

  Chuck was the first elected official to publicly speak out on Indian Land claims, calling on the Department of Justice (DOJ) to remove private landowners from lawsuits. Initially ensuring citizens' protection from ejectment and/or monetary damages, Chuck succeeded in getting DOJ to forego an appeal a decision in the Oneida County land claims suit, removing landowners from the case. Chuck also convinced DOJ to launch a formal review of its remaining claims suits throughout the State to determine whether landowners should be removed from them as well. Per that review, DOJ announced last year that it would not target New York landowners.
  
  
• Project Exile: Chuck obtained $500,000 over two years for the Northern District of New York, which includes Syracuse and Albany, to hire two Assistant U.S. Attorneys solely for to prosecute gun crimes.
  
  
• Chuck has met with site selectors from throughout the country to tout the advantages of Upstate New York. He is in the process of bringing site selectors to the Syracuse area for a meeting with representatives of the CNY Regional Compact.
  
  
• Chuck played an instrumental role in securing a record $70 million in direct payments for New York's apple and dairy farmers in the FY2001 Agriculture Appropriations Bill.
  
  
• Chuck successfully worked to reverse FEMA's initial denial of the State's application for West Nile Assistance, eventually securing $5 million in unprecedented emergency funding from FEMA to reimburse localities for costs associated with this year's outbreak.
  
  
• Chuck sponsored and got passed a new law requiring the Department of Interior to study the preservation and public use of local New York landmarks associated with Harriet Tubman's life and incorporating them into the National Park system.
  
  
• Chuck obtained an $8 million grant from the DOT for Central NY Regional Transportation Authority to purchase 42 new compressed natural gas transit buses.
  
  
• Chuck helped secure federal aid to help repair damages causes by excessive storms and flooding during May and June 2000 in 12 upstate counties.
  
  
• Chuck and Rep. Sherry Boehlert worked together to obtain $12.8 million for the Rome Labs project and inserted language into the 2000 Defense Appropriations Bill that allowed the state to contribute $13 million to the $25.8 million project. The use of the State funds was contingent upon the appropriation of the federal money and special Congressional authorization.
  
  
• After holding a meeting in Washington, DC to bring local concerns relative to nuclear storage at the three plants in Oswego county to light, Chuck convinced the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to hold a public informational hearing in Oswego.
  
  
• Chuck secured $1.8 million in guaranteed loans from HUD for the town of Scriba Community Sports Complex and Civic Center.
  
  
• Chuck secured $7 million from DOT for improvements to New York airports in upstate counties including Oneida ($650,000), Massena ($1.4 million), Cortland ($520,200), and Ogdensburg ($158,000).
  
  
• Chuck obtained a $200,000 Job Access and Reverse Commute DOT grant to Herkimer and Oneida counties for mass transit projects that will help low-income residents trave to and from jobs and employment services.
  
  
• Chuck urged the FAA to continue essential air service funding and assist new airline, Boston-Maine Airlines, to establish regularly scheduled service to Oneida County Airport.

Press Releases for the Central Region

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