On his FaceBook wall, Tomkin County, New York legislator Nathan Shinagawa announced that he would meet with President Obama.  He asked his constituents for suggestions what to ask the President.

United for Action worked with upstate residents on a request for a New Deal for Sustainability (see below).  The result — Mr Shinagawa championed our issue along with legislators from Pennsylvania and New Jersey!

Here is the statement by United for Action and friends…

Mr Shinagawa, Thank you very much for asking this. United for Action is an organization that favors a sustainable economic and environmental future. We strongly oppose fracking for gas. We work with people and organizations

throughout the state, and some of our best partners have been based in Tompkins County. May we propose the following:

“Mr. President, New York State’s health, water, air and economic future and that of our entire country is threatened by the prospect of hydrofracking for gas. At the same time, our whole country is mired in deep, persistent recession.

Rather than pursue a short-lived and destructive energy policy based on fracked gas and oil, why not create a modern Works Progress Administration to build a sustainable and renewable energy infrastructure? This should include setting up a renewable energy manufacturing zone in Central New York State.

A New Deal for Sustainability would solve three critical problems — it would immediately get Americans back to work building our energy future. It would decouple US energy from world price competition for oil and gas. And it would steer public investment towards the inevitable, sustainable future rather than fossil fuel past.

The people who voted you into office are discouraged by the lack of progress towards reinvigorating America and no renewable and sustainable energy policy to protect our future. A New Deal for Sustainability would position you in histor you as a great president who led our country through the darkest period since the Depression.”