Feb 26, 2009 — State Senator Darrel Aubertine will head the state's legislative Commission on Rural Resources. Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Dec 16, 2008 — Pundits and politicians are still sorting out the significance of last month's election. One big question is the role of rural voters. Small towns were Republican territory four years ago. But there are signs that some rural counties, especially in the Northeast, are trending Democratic. Brian Mann spoke with journalist and rural policy expert Bill Bishop, who says Democratic-leaning towns tend to have more educated citizens and higher incomes.  Go to full article

Sep 29, 2008 — One expert on rural communities believes the crisis gripping the financial markets is going to force fundamental changes in the country. Chuck Fluharty directs policy programs for the Rural Policy Research Institute. He told David Sommerstein a shortage of capital could create what he calls "a Main Street crisis."  Go to full article

Sep 02, 2008 — Republicans are struggling across the Northeast. The GOP suffered big losses in the region two years ago and polls suggest that 2008 could be even worse. One bright spot for the GOP is its rural base. Those same surveys show that small town voters still favor Republicans by wide margins. As Brian Mann reports, the rural advantage could make all the difference in key races, from New Hampshire to New York state.  Go to full article

Aug 27, 2008 — This is widely seen as a year when Republicans are struggling. The GOP's "brand" has been damaged by scandals, by President Bush's low approval ratings, and by the unpopular war in Iraq. But surveys suggest that the GOP's rural stronghold remains largely intact. According to a recent Zogby poll, small town voters nationwide favor Republican John McCain over Democrat Barack Obama by a sixteen-point margin. Those conservative rural voters could make the difference in key battleground states, from Colorado and New Mexico in the West to Ohio in the Midwest and New Hampshire in the East. Martha Foley talks with Brian Mann who covers rural politics for NCPR.  Go to full article

Jun 09, 2008 — Last week, the Spanish utility, Iberdrola, announced it wanted to invest $2 billion in wind power development in New York. Governor Patterson praised the company, saying the move would be an "unprecedented investment in clean energy" in the state. Big corporations are no strangers to New York wind power. Iberdrola is already part-owner of the massive Maple Ridge wind farm on the Tug Hill Plateau. JP Morgan owns the new wind farms in Clinton County. And BP Global wants to erect turbines in Cape Vincent. Many of the debates over wind farms in the North Country center around whether these companies give back as much as they reap in profits. A smaller company based in Minnesota is rolling out a different model on the High Plains of the Midwest. National Wind is developing 700 megawatts of wind power by inviting the host communities to become co-owners. CEO Leon Steinberg told David Sommerstein traditionally wind developers buy leases from landowners to erect turbines on their property. National Wind takes a different approach.  Go to full article

Jun 03, 2008 — With Republicans defending just a one seat majority in the state Senate, the race for the 48th Senate District seat has broad significance for New York. That was the first question this morning when David Sommerstein joined Martha Foley and Brian Mann for a roundtable on state and national politics.  Go to full article

Feb 19, 2008 — A new poll from the Siena College Research Institute shows Hillary Rodham Clinton still leading Republican John McCain in a prospective presidential vote 49% to 42%. It also shows her Democratic rival Barack Obama leading McCain among New York voters, and by a similar margin, 47% to 40%. Brian Mann has been tracking rural voters as this election year unfolds. He talked with Martha Foley about the influence rural Americans may have on the primaries, and the outcome in November.  Go to full article

Feb 06, 2008 — Young adults in small towns are more likely to be idle than young people in cities and suburbs. That's according to a new report produced by the Carsey Institute, a rural-policy think-tank based in New Hampshire. According to the study, the risk is especially high here in the Northeast. Roughly 40% of 18-24 year-olds who don't finish high school will find themselves out of work, unable to pursue a higher education or job training. Brian Mann spoke with Anastasia Snyder, a rural policy expert at Ohio State University and co-author of the study.  Go to full article

Jan 01, 2008 — The day after Christmas, President Bush signed a $555 billion spending bill. It allows the federal government to operate for another year. It also includes almost 10,000 member items, pet projects for the home districts of individual lawmakers. One of Senator Hillary Clinton's earmarks is almost $200,000 to extend broadband Internet access to rural St. Lawrence County. The money comes through the county Chamber of Commerce. Pat McKeown is the chamber's interim director. She told David Sommerstein towns like Canton, Potsdam, Massena, and Ogdensburg are covered for high-speed Internet access. The challenge now is to serve outlying communities.  Go to full article