[On Dec. 13], the Central New York Regional Economic Development Council (CNY REDC) was named a “Top Performer” and awarded $86.4 million for 112 projects that will have a direct impact on our region. We are incredibly proud to have been awarded the largest total investment of any region this round, and throughout all seven years of this process. 

Over seven rounds, more than $1 billion in investments made through the regional council and the Upstate Revitalization Initiative have helped to transform the CNY region and its economy. The projects supported by these new awards will further our progress by creating jobs, encouraging innovative business growth, and driving greater opportunity across all segments of our community.

The latest awards also mark an important milestone for me as they were my last official duty as co-chair of the CNY REDC. I am extremely honored to have been given the opportunity to serve, and am deeply proud of this region’s track record over seven rounds. I want to thank the members of the CNY REDC, particularly my co-chair, Dr. Danielle Laraque-Arena, president of SUNY Upstate Medical University, and the hundreds of community partners and CenterState CEO members working alongside us to advance this important work. 

I look forward to continuing to work as a member of the CNY REDC and supporting Randy Wolken, president and CEO of the Manufacturers Association of Central New York, and Dr. Laraque-Arena as we build on these efforts and continue to bring jobs, investment, and continued revitalization to our region. Our success hinges on our entire community working together toward a common vision of economic opportunity for all, and I am ready to begin this exciting new chapter together.                                 

Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This viewpoint is drawn and edited from the “CEO Focus” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Dec. 14.

Hooray for tweets.

As you know, this president is the King of Twitterville. That is, he loves to send his thoughts to millions via his smartphone. 

Trump tweets insults to enemies and plaudits to supporters. He skirts fake news media to reach voters directly and unfiltered.

I like this development. If you hate him, you should like it. If you like him, you should like it. Because it does avoid the filters.

Seems to me that anything that gets us nearer to what any president is thinking is good. If he is a crackpot, his messages will probably reveal it. If he is sensible, ditto. And if you don’t want to know, you don’t have to read them.

Today’s “invasive” television is also a good service. By invasive, I mean what you see when no announcer interferes. If you watch C-Span you know what I mean. C-Span mostly turns on the cameras and lets you see and hear what is going on. Some of that kind of coverage gets into the all-news channels like CNN and Fox News.

For example, Fox recently carried 10 minutes of President Trump with various families. They were at the White House to promote the tax-cut legislation. Everything was somewhat scripted. But we could also see the president chatting informally with the families. In a sense, viewers were attending the get-together.

I like this because such gatherings reveal things to onlookers. Most folks can spot phonies (in their eyes). They recognize sincerity. Body language, gestures, and facial expressions tell them more than words can.

This serves us better than media people telling us, “The president was angry today in talking about…” Or “The president was upbeat when he…” Seeing and hearing for ourselves is better than the views of news people.

I recall one of Jimmy Carter’s presentations from the White House. Per usual he seemed scripted and stilted to me. He seemed cold and rigid. Various critics had told us this was his manner.

When the presentation ended, Carter turned and discovered friends were seated behind him. A family from his hometown, I believe. He walked to them and chatted. Fortunately, the microphones were on and viewers heard the conversation. They saw him enthusiastically embrace his friends. They heard more warmth in his greetings than they ever heard in his speeches and press conferences. For once, Americans saw and heard their president as they would a neighbor or relative.

What we see and hear of our president is so much more than voters witnessed in the past. Everything they knew about their leaders came by way of third parties. Most folks never knew FDR used a wheelchair. Because third parties scotched photos and films of him using it.

In the 1960s, Britain’s royals did themselves a favor. For the first time, they let cameras invade their privacy. Viewers heard their queen chat with family members, her prime minister, and her servants. They went driving with their queen across her Balmoral estate. (And learned she drove a Land Rover.) They joined her and her family on a picnic.

There were no announcers saying, “The Queen enjoyed her picnic with…” People saw her at the picnic and made up their own minds. As they would if they watched any other family on the beach.

Bottom line is that I like tweets. I’m all a-twitter over them!

From Tom…as in Morgan.              

Tom Morgan writes about political, financial, and other subjects from his home near Oneonta. You can write to Tom at tomasinmorgan@yahoo.com. Read more of his writing at tomasinmorgan.com