Dale Sweetland

Dale Sweetland is the Republican candidate in the 2008 congressional elections for the 25th Congressional District (map) of New York. He is the Republican nominee seeking to replace retiring incumbent Rep. Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.).

Positions, record and controversies
Dale Sweetland announced his support of comprehensive energy policy that includes drilling in ANWR, expanding researching into alternative energy sources, conservation and lowering taxes on gas.

Bio
Dale A. Sweetland (R-Fabius), candidate for Congress in New York’s 25th Congressional District, has deep roots in Central New York. A descendent of one of the first families to settle in Cazenovia, NY in 1793, Dale and his wife, Susan, live in Fabius in Southern Onondaga County. They have been married for 35 years and have two grown children and one grandchild.

Dale is an entrepreneur, past Supervisor of the Town of Fabius and past Chairman of the Onondaga County Legislature. Dale also is a licensed property and casualty insurance agent in New York State and worked in the crop insurance industry for 10 years.

In his business life, Dale owned and managed an agricultural operation for 25 years. In 1997, Dale sold this business and began a career in the insurance industry with Fireman’s Fund Agribusiness. In that capacity, Dale was responsible for business development, marketing and relationship management in 12 northeastern states. He had direct oversight of company employees and a $6 million regional budget.

Dale is fiercely pro-business and believes that the economy turns every time an entrepreneur takes a risk and decides to start a business. In his public life, Dale has always contributed to the betterment of the communities he has been a part of. In 1988, he was elected Town Supervisor of Fabius and served three terms. In 1994, Dale was elected to the Onondaga County Legislature where he served seven terms and represented a vast district of suburban and rural communities. During his tenure in the legislature, Dale held many leadership roles including chairing several committees such as Public Works and Social Services. He also served as Vice-Chairman of County Facilities, Transportation and the important Ways and Means Committees.

When a mediator was called for, the Legislature often turned to Dale. As Chair of the Public Works Committee, Dale led the Legislature through years of negotiations with the federal Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation regarding the clean-up of Onondaga Lake, a $1 billion project for the betterment of a lake that was once recognized by the EPA as “the most polluted lake in the nation.” When the legislature needed to have discussions with the City of Syracuse or a town in the County, Dale was asked to participate.

Dale’s efforts in the County Legislature were acknowledged and rewarded in 2002 when he was elected Chairman of the Legislature in a party line vote. Dale was unanimously re-elected Chairman in 2004 by Republicans and Democrats, an indication of his bipartisan efforts. As Chairman, Dale sponsored legislation to establish the county’s prescription drug card program available to all residents of Onondaga County. This program has resulted in an average annual savings of 27% per prescription for program participants. Throughout his tenure as Chairman of the Legislature, Dale demonstrated his commitment to the taxpayers of Onondaga County by cutting $26 million from county executive budget requests. He also reduced the county workforce by 8% through attrition, not layoffs. From 2003 through 2007, the county tax rate dropped 13%.

Dale’s commitment to the community is exemplary. Currently, he is a member of the Pompey Lions Club, Leadership Greater Syracuse Board of Directors, Elmcrest Children’s Center Board of Directors, Onondaga County Drug and Alcohol Abuse Commission and Syracuse Symphony Board of Directors.

In December 2007, at the end of his tenure in the County Legislature, a reporter asked Dale what he felt his biggest success in the Legislature had been. Dale’s response was, “ I recently told my wife that one day we will be able to drive from east to west on 690 and look to the south and see a city with vibrant neighborhoods and look to the north and see a lake that is an asset, not a burden. As I leave the legislature, I am proud to say that I will have had a small role in those successes.” Dale’s personal, professional and public experiences are not unique. His is the story of thousands of people in the 25th Congressional District, who are dedicated hard workers, but who are also affected by forces—economic or personal—they cannot control. Dale understands the obstacles and challenges that the average person faces.

A candidate with extensive public service experience, Dale is the best representative for the people of the 25th Congressional District. A hard working family man who understands the issues of Central and Western New York, Dale has always kept the citizens’ best interests at the forefront. He is recognized by both Republicans and Democrats as being a person of honesty, integrity and character. He has always had an open-door policy and seeks out opportunities to listen to opposing views before making decisions.

Dale will be the Congressman who will not let government intrude in personal decisions. He believes in personal responsibility and thinks that when people are allowed to make their own decisions with their own money, they make the right choices and the economy grows.

Website
http://www.sweetland08.com

2008 elections
Sweetland is the Republican nominee seeking to replace retiring incumbent Rep. Jim Walsh (R-N.Y.) in the 2008 congressional elections.

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Campaign contributions
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Committees
Sweetland will be assigned committees if and when he is elected to Congress.

Campaign Contact Information
Sweetland08 PO Box 155 Syracuse, NY 13201 PH- 315-218-6883 FAX- 315-218-6878 [mailto:dale@sweetland08.com dale@sweetland08.com]

Related SourceWatch articles

 * 2008 U.S. congressional elections
 * 2008 U.S. congressional election dates
 * Portal:New York and the U.S. Congress

External resources

 * 2008 Race Tracker page on New York's 25th Congressional District
 * Sweetland08.com website