Written by Meredith George in the Watertown Daily Times

I am glad that many of our north country legislators are joining with U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik and seriously considering the steps necessary to open our north country for the summer season. I do not have to tell you how important seasonal work is for employment and for the economy in our area.

The north country attracts so many families and seasonal visitors from across the country and Canada that most of our towns and counties rely on the summer months as a primary source of income. We have already seen many local businesses close, and losing the summer will be outright devastating for the local economy.

I support Rep. Stefanik’s letter to Gov. Andrew Cuomo requesting guidelines for opening summer camps this year. Across the country, summer camps employee millions of people. Not only are summer camps a source of income and employment in our region but also a form of child care. It’s a shame that Gov. Cuomo took this moment to politicize one of our region’s most important forms of income, employment and child care.

This is business as usual for New York: prioritizing New York City and forgetting about the needs of the north country. We deserve better from our governor. Thank you, Rep. Stefanik, for your continued representation of our district and perseverance in New York state.

Meredith A. George

Watertown

You can read the full letter to the editor at: www.nny360.com