Good news for those swing voters out there, who need a little extra information to help make up their minds: help is on the way.

Well, at least for one state senate seat.

Republican Sen. Nancy Larraine Hoffmann will engage 49th District Democratic challenger David Valesky in a forum Wednesday at the Holiday Inn. It will be Hoffmann's first such forum with Valesky in Cayuga County.

"I welcome an opportunity for a dialogue with the voters, to meet with community leaders and people interested in the state. We learn from each other," Hoffmann said.

Valesky said he is looking forward to "another opportunity for me to talk with voters about this campaign and why this election is so important."

Hoffmann was not able to participate in earlier area debates over the Columbus Day weekend because of "previous commitments out of state."

Although Hoffmann regrets that she was not able to attend the previous campaign events, "the voters know that a campaign is not just the few weeks before an election. I've been doing this for quite a while."

She has represented upstate New York for many years, although Hoffmann started to represent nine towns in Cayuga County and a part of Auburn in 2002 as a result of redistricting.

"I'm impressed with the high

level of community service throughout Cayuga County," she noted.

Valesky is running on a heavily reform-oriented platform and is critical of the legislative process in Albany.

"It's so broken. I'm fighting for real reform.

"The state legislature failed to reform the Medicaid system. This has resulted in our local taxes being 72 percent higher than the national average and the highest in the nation. It translates into higher property taxes and an increase in sales tax."

Valesky is also calling for reform in education, and is critical of Albany for failing to reform the school aid formula.