The 128^th Assembly District includes a mix of Syracuse’s urban center, as well as some of the city’s middle-class suburbs. It’s a balancing act that Assemblymember Pamela Hunter has gracefully achieved during her tenure.

Hunter told Capital Tonight host Susan Arbetter that while the Albany bubble may be focused on the scandals engulfing Governor Cuomo, her diverse district is not.

“Most of the things that people are talking about in my community are not investigations into the Governor,” Assemblymember Hunter said. “They’re talking about living conditions, unemployment, quality of life, nursing homes, and the budget and those are the priorities for the people in my community.”

Both the federal stimulus money and the possibility of hiking taxes on the very wealthy means that some of the long-standing issues facing her constituents may soon be addressed.

“We have an opportunity now to transform the lives of our community based on the federal stimulus money that’s coming into our communities and with the budget that we are putting together right now,” she explained. “I think it’s very important to think more broadly and not about shiny new buildings. I know everyone likes something new…but we have a quality-of-life issue in our communities.”

Hunter is especially focused on two issues, education and direct care. She is also pushing to ensure that constituents living within the footprint of the elevated I-81 bridge span end up in better shape than they currently are once the span comes down.