Washington--Rep.-elect Dan Maffei offered some advice on the "fiscal cliff" to President Barack Obama on Wednesday, asking him to make sure infrastructure investments are included in a final deal.

Maffei, (D-DeWitt), made the suggestion in a letter to the president in which he said infrastructure investment will help create jobs and lower the national debt.

In negotiations with House Speaker John Boehner, Obama has reportedly asked for $80 billion in spending on infrastructure and additional unemployment benefits.

Maffei said such an investment could pay big dividends in Central New York, where he has advocated for the Connective Corridor in Syracuse and the development of high-speed rail.

"The best way to address our national debt is to put people back to work and strengthen our economy," Maffei wrote in the letter. "These investments should be funded in a responsible way and could put hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work and give a necessary boost to our nation’s economy at a critical time."

[Continued at Syracuse.com]
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