As Councilor-at-Large I will focus on the big three:
education, crime reduction, and jobs.

I endorse public schools as bedrock for our children's sound future. We must use education dollars efficiently. Say Yes to Education shows amazing promise. We need to monitor this program to make sure that it is on track; adjust and refocus as needed. Common Council and the Board of Education must work as partners to provide sound schooling for all Syracuse children.

At all times we must seek to ensure the safety of our citizens. Community policing has proven successful in other communities and should be widely employed in Syracuse. We must provide our police officers with the best techniques, training, and supervision available. Synergy is part of the equation for safe livable neighborhoods: with a better educated population and stable jobs for all, crime rates will fall.

Because of our industrial past Syracuse has an indefinite number of opportunities to create sustainable, green jobs. many strong and innovative minds have been working along this line for some time now, on issues such as deconstruction, green infrastructure, and housing stock upgrades. The rest of the country is in shock from all the recent economic upheaveal. Syracuse has been dealing with a downturn for some time now, been thinking on its feet and is primed to lead an economic revival.

“Remember the Labor Day storm? Thirty thousand trees were down, power was out - the vista from every corner of the city had changed. I view these times as an equivalent of that storm and the solution is the same: work together as a community. We need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and get about the business of rebuilding Syracuse.”

~Jean Kessner