Devastating economic news for the North Country today. <\/p>\n
If three of the region’s prisons close over the next year, slashing nearly five hundred jobs, it would undermine the region’s already woefully thin prosperity.<\/p>\n
Those corrections officer jobs, and associated civilian positions, literally anchor whole communities.<\/p>\n
They boost school enrollment, allow volunteer fire departments to keep functioning, and spread cash through the retail economy.<\/p>\n
There is already some indication that the cuts may be falling with disproportionate weight on this region.<\/p>\n
And it’s hard to understand why the Moriah Shock camp would be closed at a time when Rockefeller drug reform laws are increasing demand for that kind of rehabilitation-oriented program.<\/p>\n
Two of the region’s powerful state Senators — Democrat Darrel Aubertine and Republican Betty Little — have promised to fight hammer and tong to block at least part of these cuts. <\/p>\n
Can they pull it off? <\/p>\n
That may depend in part on whether they can work together.<\/p>\n
The state Senate has a narrow Democratic majority, one that teeters constantly. <\/p>\n
If Aubertine and Little were to form a serious and committed North Country caucus, they could throw a lot of weight around. <\/p>\n
They seem to view this issue identically, so a partnership of convenience seems logical.<\/p>\n
If they honestly believe that these cuts are unfair and inappropriate, it may be time for their offices to set aside partisan differences and past battles and unify around this fight. <\/p>\n
It’s hard to imagine a more important issue for the region.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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