(FULTON) The sound of bustling machinery and the scent of chocolate would normally fill the air over Fulton, New York this time of year. But like a lot of small towns across the U.S., Fulton is struggling from an economic downturn which residents hope will turn around with the next President.
In the last decade, Fulton's industrial market thrived. But when Nestle, Sunoco and Miller Brewing Company left town five years ago, so did the jobs. According to Fulton Mayor Ronald Woodward, Sr., Nestle's payroll alone contributed $22 million a year to the community. Today the unemployment rate is 9.2% and with the population roughly 12,000, the situation is dire. "We lost all our industry, our taxes are real high, we need to do something to draw industry back into New York State" said Fulton city worker Jerry Schremp just after voting for Hillary Clinton in the New York primaries.
Promises Promises
What is a campaign without a handful of promises? Apparently, dialogue. Back in 2000 during her run in New York State for the U.S. Senate, democratic Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton visited small towns across the upstate New York, including Fulton. With her visit came the promise to bring 200,000 jobs back to the towns that suffered the most -- A promise that helped her win, but wasn't kept. In fact, the region saw a net loss of nearly 27,000 jobs in her first term. During a Presidential primary debate, moderator Tim Russert of NBC's Meet the Press
brought the 
issue to the forefront. Clinton blamed the republican win in the White House for tying her hands. In her Presidential campaign, Clinton is promising 5 million jobs nation wide. Candidate Barack Obama proposes a plan to re-tool old industry in order to remain globally competitive and a tax cut for middle class Americans. Candidate John McCain admits some blue-collar jobs won’t be coming back to harder hit towns and proposes instead a re-training program for the unemployed to prepare them for a changing job market. Hot Coffee and Conversation
Residents gather at Mimi's Drive-In to grab a bite and catch up on the talk of the town. The economy often comes up in conversation. In this election year, townspeople debate which presidential candidate will best help Fulton get back on it's feet. "I'm more satisfied with Obama than Clinton for a lot of reasons...but I think we need somebody new in there to start a new direction and I don't think we can [do that] with another person with the same Rolodex thats been in there forever" said retired SUNY Oswego philosophy professor, Robert Carnes. "But I don't see any of them talking specifics" he added.
A New Hope
With the presidential election a mere eight months away and the democratic race heating up, candidates are in a pinch to please the remaining primary voters. But for Fulton, more is needed than dialogue and empty promises. In November, residents here will hope for a president who will bring back jobs to a town hungry for industry.
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