News.

With each passing day, I’ve found the news from Washington this year to be more and more troubling. Attacks on our healthcare, families separated at our border, chaos caused by Trump and his morally corrupt enablers.

Despite it all, I refuse to give up because I know that dedicated people united in a common purpose can make a difference.

I asked you to tell me which problem you thought we should take on first, and over the last week, I’ve received hundreds of responses and personal stories from folks across central and western New York and our nation. A baby-boomer from Syracuse wrote about her inability to pay the exorbitant cost of life-saving medicine she needs. A freelance artist from Walworth told me how he had to scramble to find affordable health insurance after his wife’s company suddenly dropped coverage for spouses. A retiree from Oswego shared how he wants to ensure the most vulnerable members of our society are protected by keeping Republicans away from Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.

I also heard about the struggles of working families who don’t get a fair shake in a system designed to benefit the ultra-wealthy; the fears that parents have for their children’s lives because of the lack of common-sense federal gun safety laws; the concerns of so many of you who believe we must root out the pervasive influence of big money in our elections; and the pleas for our elected officials to act immediately to stop the dire impacts of climate change on our planet.

Solutions won’t come easily, but the passion and dedication to progress that you all shared with me was inspiring. And I know that by working together, there’s nothing we can’t do.

When lots of people work to make a difference, something extraordinary happens.

More soon,

Dana

P.S. If you haven’t answered the survey yet, I’d still love to hear from you! Click here to share with me the issue you think we should take on first.