Mary Finneran during her event in Delanson Sunday
DELANSON - State Assembly Candidate Mary Finneran spoke to locals at an event at the Knox Octagon Barn in Delanson Sunday afternoon. The event featured both a statement from the candidate and a healthy back-and-forth with supporters.
Finneran spoke before the meeting about what she described as growing momentum, citing ten major endorsements, including the Working Families Party. She lauded the endorsement of former Blenheim Town Supervisor and New York Secretary of State Shaffer, who she described as a "wonderful woman."
The candidate said that she was working on further endorsements ahead of the June 23rd primary against fellow Democrats Janet Tweed and Thomas Boomhower.
She spoke about a variety of topics, including the recent war in Iran. She said that the conflict was "connected to the environment," specifically to fossil fuels.
She also stated that the attempt to water down the 2019 New York Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA) has to be stopped and was in part due to Washington's push for fuel pipelines, including the Constitution Pipeline. She said that there was "no need" for such a pipeline.
Finneran also stated that she sought the State Legislature to utilize its home rule ability to help block future similar energy projects and "find other ways the state has powers."
In particular, she stated her opposition to nuclear power. While nuclear power does not create direct carbon emissions, she said that it released methane gas during its construction and heat pollution in operation. She also questioned the means to dispose of radioactive waste which is a huge problem. Finneran said that she would support legislation to ban nuclear power in the state.
She added that she hopes to expand renewable power, including a requirement that for every one acre in rural areas, that two would be placed in urban/industrial areas.
The state needs to take a "more holistic look," she said.
Finneran expanded on her themes of "life, liberty, and happiness" from her February campaign launch in Durham. She sought affordability for average families, stating that wars are often fought over resources.
"Human needs-- that's what we have to focus on," she said.
"The needs of the people of Assembly District 102 is my goal," she said. "Health care, decent transportation." She added her support for agriculture and infrastructure alongside public libraries and schools.
In order to pay for the expansion of state programs, Finneran hopes to "tax the rich, especially billionaires," she said. "These people do not have incomes that are on the tax rolls," she said, segueing into the idea of a wealth tax.
Such ideas are interconnected, she added, seeking better public transit for local residents and calling for a statewide moratorium on data center construction. Artificial intelligence is "not needed," she said.
Finneran served on the Cairo Library Board and spent years as a teacher, union organizer, and environmental activist.
