A lot of the folks in upstate worry about the crappy economy, high taxes, and Albany dysfunction. They see the state lej as needing reform, then vote the incumbents back in.

But what if, instead of the same ol’, same ol’, or a myopic “business uber alles” perspective, the state lej set out in a more progressive direction? What would that look like? If your brain is straining under the stress of trying to imagine Albany being anything but screwed up and stagnant, relax. A think tank called the Progressive States Network is on the case. I’ve been getting their “Daily Dispatch” in my email for some time now, and I have to say, it’s a delightful, refreshing change from the plodding, way-inside-the-box, must…eliminate…taxes…, thinking that’s so prevalent around these parts. I mean, come on. We’re Americans. We went to the friggin MOON in less than 10 years once we set our minds to it, so why do we insist on anything less than that level of ingenuity when it comes to the future of upstate?

I know, there’s a lot of bad TV to be watched, and I admit a lot of it is strangely compelling, but press “mute” for a minute and check out the bold legislative platform that PSN is proposing:

Wage Standards and Workplace Freedom	Balancing Work and Family
Health Care for All	Smart Growth and Clean Jobs
Tax and Budget Reform	Clean and Fair Elections

Isn’t that set of titles alone compelling? Yes, I do hear the cynic in you saying “Huh. It’ll never happen.” Well, I’m sure a lot of folks said that about Teddy Roosevelt when he promised to be the “Trust-busting” president. (Remember “Trusts”– the last time corporations wielded way too much power?)

I’m sure a lot of folks said that about FDR, when he was proposing the New Deal that got America through some of its darkest hours.

How many said that of Kennedy when he famously declared we would land a man on the moon within the decade?

And yet, here we are, with a much more modest to-do list in front of us. Who are we to say it can’t be done? Stephen Hawking, the brilliant mathematician-physicist who retains his smarts and sense of humor despite advanced Lou Gehrig’s Disease, said:

I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road.

Isn’t it a weird feeling– that starting is as simple as looking before you cross? And while you’re looking, sign on to the PSN petition in support of this platform. The goal is to get a critical mass of signatures, and to get folks like you and me plugged into the loop on how these issues are moving in Albany. Count me in. How about you?