Sincerely,


                                                                        
    Brian U. Stratton

To the Great Loop List: Please excuse the length of this email, but it's important. We have new management on the New York Canal System including my good friends Tom Ryan (Chief of Staff of NY Thruway and Canals) and John Callaghan (Deputy Director of Canal Corp), as well as Brian Stratton (Canal Director) whom I recently met. The new guys are die-hard canallers, and have a lot of plans for the canal system, including reconstruction of several locks, major dredging all over, and a lot of maintenance, some very much overdue. This all takes money, lots of it. The Canal Corp recently proposed a Bond Issue and it passed the Legislature and now awaits Governor Cuomo's signature. The Governor needs a little nudge from all of us to get him to sign, so I ask you all to send a letter or an email to him. Please include the number of the bill, S.5564/A.6444, and state that you are in favor of it, and then state that you are a concerned boater that has used or expects to use the New York Canal System and why you approve of money being spent on the Canals. A copy of the actual bill appears here: http://www.tug44.org/S.5564 - A.6444.pdf A sample letter to guide you in what to send: http://www.tug44.org/sample-letter.doc The letter I sent, as an attachment to an email: http://www.tug44.org/sample-letter.doc Below appears an explanation from Brian Stratton, NY Canal Director Fred Wehner Tug 44 PS- Could someone please post this to the TT list! Dear Canal Supporter: Some very good news has emerged from the recently concluded state legislative session in Albany: an important bill has passed that will support capital needs along the canal system as never before, and your help is needed to ensure it becomes law! Attached is bill S.5564/A.6444 that will allow the New York State Thruway Authority to bond up to an additional $100 million for Canal capital projects. It also provides an additional $10 million for emergency needs. The New York State Canal Corporation submitted this bill to the Legislature with the approval of Governor Cuomo. The bill does not become law until it is signed by the Governor, and individuals and advocacy groups who support this legislation are encouraged to write the Governor's Office, requesting that he sign it into law. These letters become part of the statutory history and are stored in the State Archives. Attached is the letter of support that the Thruway Authority/Canal Corporation sent to the Governor. Should you decide to send a letter to the Governor in support of the bill, it should follow the format of the attached letter, but not copy the letter exactly, as form letters are not given the same weight as personal letters. Letters should be mailed on letterhead to Honorable Mylan Denerstein, Counsel to the Governor, Executive Chamber, State Capitol, Albany, New York 12224. Letters may also be E-mailed as an attachment to legislative.secretary@exec.ny.gov with the bill number S.5564/A.6444 in the subject area of the email or at the top of the letter. I also ask that you copy me on you letter of support. It can be sent to my attention at NYS Canal Corporation, 200 Southern Boulevard, Albany, NY 12201 or by email to Brian.Stratton@canals.ny.gov. If you are writing on behalf of an organization, you should describe your organization and its mission, the approximate number of members, the area in which you operate, mention things about the Canal System that are valuable to your organization, and say why signing this bill into law is important to your organization. Be sure to affirmatively state that you respectfully request the Governor sign the bill into law. This bill has already been sent to the Governor for his consideration, and so your support is needed as soon as you can act, and the sooner the better! Thank you. Sincerely, Brian U. Stratton