It is vital that not only Cornell, but our entire region, spread the word that the work done at Cornell's CAT, Theory Center, and all of the other centers for applied research at Cornell benefit not only our local community, but the entire state as well. To my personal knowledge, Cornell has made valiant attempts to publicize the value of this work, but more needs to be done. My office stands ready and eager to assist. It is shallow and rather simple to suggest an economic recovery program based solely on the government showering money on higher education. The link, though less direct, is nonetheless real.
Agriculture is still New York's largest industry.
Its health as an industry hinges on many factors, including the price farmers pay for their electricity, the cost of land and school taxes, federal price supports, feed costs and their debt loads. It is also heavily dependent on the research that identifies and advocates sound farming practices, pest control, development of disease-resistant crops, herd health and disease detection and treatment. Without the education and research base provided by the statutory colleges at Cornell that support agriculture, we would lose farms and experience job losses in farm-related businesses, such as machinery, feed and food processing. For this reason, among others, I have actively sought appropriate state support for higher education in general and the statutory colleges in particular, ranging from the Diagnostic Lab to a multi-year program of significant improvements at the Veterinary College. The capital plan provides the infrastructure support necessary to continuation of Cornell's mission.