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Thank you to all of my supporters! I look very forward to serving the citizens of District 4. Please contact me with your suggestions and comments!

The cleanup of Onondaga Lake is one of my main priorities as Legislator. I recently attended an event which announced the "Honeywell Institute for Ecosystems Education" which has been created by Honeywell, the Montezuma Audubon Center and the Onondaga Audubon Society. Through education, the program looks forward to restoring the natural habitat on Onondaga Lake and to recognize it as an Important Bird Area. Here is a picture of me, Salina Supervisor Mark Nicotra, and a majestic bald eagle!

Endorsement Announcement

On Friday October 9, 2009 at 11:00 am, Salina Town Supervisor, Mark Nicotra, and Clay Town Supervisor, Damian Ulatowski, endorsed Judy Tassone for Onondaga County Legislator of the 4th District. The announcement was made at Tassone’s campaign headquarters located at 318 Oswego Street in the village of Liverpool.

“I am honored and excited to receive the endorsements of our Town Supervisors” said Tassone, who has been involved with both towns for many years in various capacities.

As Chairperson of the Town of Salina Bicentennial Committee, Judy saved the Town of Salina over $3000. The town allocated $4000 to the Bicentennial festivities; of that $4000 Mrs. Tassone and the committee used $645 for banners and T-shirts. Through the various events of the celebration, a majority of those funds were recouped. In addition to $3355 that was not used, Judy is proud to be able to return $320 to the Town of Salina.

My Letter to the Editor 9/29/09 regarding the Onondaga County Budget Deficit:

As we quickly near the Oct. 8 public meeting and the Oct. 15 Legislature’s deadline for amendments to the Onondaga County budget, I would like to address the potential $38 million budget deficit. As many of you know, the 2010 budget, proposed at $1.17 billion, includes some controversial remedies to close the deficit. One of the proposals is to reduce the work week by five hours for more than 2,100 county employees, reducing their pay by 12 to 14 percent.

I implore the County Legislature, the CSEA, and other unions representing Onondaga County employees to come together to find a s

olution. Having worked for Niagara Mohawk (now National Grid), my coworkers and I faced a very similar position in the early 1990s. The company was facing financial hardships and proposed layoffs and rate hikes to the consumers. The union negotiated with management for members to temporarily forego our scheduled raises. The decision was not easy as many of us had already budgeted for the next year’s raises. However, we were able to earn our previous year’s salaries, and once the financial position of the company improved, the union renegotiated and raises were reinstated.

We all have friends and family members who have lost their jobs during the country’s financial difficulties. Studies show Americans are earning an estimated 3- to 4-percent less this year than last year at this time. As we see unemployment statistics rise, taxpayers cannot afford to close the budget deficit through higher taxes.

Onondaga County employees work hard to provide important services to our county residents. It is because of the economic climate that we need these services and the people that provide them more than ever.

We all are facing tough economic decisions. I ask the Legislators and the Unions to work through these tough choices together and agree upon a solution that protects all of our taxpayers, including Onondaga County workers. I believe that the county budget can be balanced without raising taxes and without taking away from our county employees.

8/21/2009 My press release about more corruption on the State Level

Tassone Stands Against Double Dipping Lawmakers

Judy Tassone, Republican Candidate for Onondaga County Legislature in District 4, is asking Attorney General, Andrew Cuomo, for answers concerning a loophole in NYS Law allowing members of the State Legislature to collect State salaries and State pensions simultaneously. News of this egregious abuse of tax payer money was revealed in a New York Times article, published on August 17th. According to the article, veteran lawmakers can "retire" from their jobs and receive their pensions at age 65, without actually leaving their positions or giving up their salaries. The article sites a group of four lawmakers earning about $402,000 annually combined with the total state pensions at roughly $282,000.

Tassone, a strong proponent of responsible government, is urging Mr. Cuomo for a thorough investigation of this unfair practice. Tassone says "I believe that our lawmakers have the moral and civil obligation to fight against unfair laws, not to benefit from them. The idea that the law allows for this double-dipping is unconscionable. Not only is this a waste of tax dollars, but it is an abuse of the power that was given to them by their constituents."

8/19/2009 As you know, I am the chairperson for the Town of Salina's Bicentennial Celebration.
Here is a link from News 10 Now on a story that they did about the kickoff!

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