The state Director of Rural Development for the US Department of Agriculture thinks rural New York’s best days are ahead.
Brian Murray commented after President Biden’s State of the Union address, in which he called for a number of rural initiatives, including expanding the availability of high speed internet.
“I have been meeting with representatives from across the state, listening to their concerns and challenges, identifying program linkages as well as how we may play a role as their partner going forward. Rural Development’s programs can play a pivotal role in narrowing the digital divide, improving a community’s infrastructure through water and sewer programs, safety and wellbeing by providing needed tools like 1st responder equipment and vehicles, helping a rural family realize the dream of homeownership or working with a rural small business with any number of our loan or grant programs” said Murray.
In the State of the Union speech, the President called for a network of 500,000 electric vehicle charging stations and the replacement of dangerous lead water pipes. Murray said “by giving everyone a fair shot and providing equitable access to federal resources, we can do our part to carry out the President’s economic vision. That means making more things here at home, strengthening our supply chains and lowering costs for working families. It means giving people opportunities to make a good living without having to leave the communities they know and love.”
We discussed the issues facing rural upstate New York with Murray and Undersecretary Xochitl Torres Small on a recent episode of Inside the FLX.
INSIDE THE FLX: USDA Under Secretary for Rural Development Xochitl Torres Small discusses opportunities in New York (podcast)
