Chambers of commerce and other business groups from Buffalo, Syracuse, the
Capital District, and many other parts of the state have declared their strong
support for the "Upstate Agenda for Growth" proposed by The Business Council.
Executives from seven prominent business groups strongly endorsed the Upstate
Agenda at a press conference at the state Capitol Nov
Business Council President Daniel B. Walsh is asking New York State businesses
to consider supporting the New York Special Olympics (NYSO).
Walsh has agreed to serve as chair of the development committee for the NYSO
Summer Games, which will be held in Albany for the next two summers.
Walsh is urging business leaders in the Capital Region and statewide to consider
supporting the Special Olympics by becoming an event sponsor and/or by asking
their employees to become volunteers for the Summer Games
ALBANY "Temporary" taxes totaling $1.38 billion a year that were intended
to support New York State medical institutions undermine the competitiveness
of New York business, make it harder for businesses to afford health insurance,
and fail to deliver many of the intended benefits, according to a new report
from The Public Policy Institute of New York
State
ALBANY Chambers of commerce and other business groups from Buffalo,
Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and Schenectady today urged lawmakers to enact an
"Upstate Agenda for Growth" proposed by The Business Council.
At a press conference at the state Capitol, Daniel B. Walsh, president of The Business Council
was joined by representatives of the Greater Buffalo Partnership, the Rochester Metro Chamber
of Commerce, the Fulton County Chamber of Commerce, the Schenectady Chamber of
Commerce, the Greater Rensselaer County Chamber of Commerce, and the Albany-Colonie
Chamber of Commerce
ALBANY The Business Council has urged legislative leaders to use a December
session to pass an aggressive package of bills called the "Upstate Agenda for
Growth."
The Upstate Agenda would reduce energy costs, accelerate existing tax cuts, enhance
workforce development, repeal mandates in order to lower property taxes, pre-approve potential
business sites, and promote New York's economic progress to businesses and economic
development professionals both inside and outside New York State
November 23, 1998
Honorable Joseph L. Bruno
President Pro Tem and Majority Leader
New York State Senate
Room 909, LOB
Albany, New York 12247
Dear Senator Bruno:
RE: An Upstate Agenda for Growth, for action in December
A December session of the Legislature would provide an early opportunity to stimulate growth in
the single remaining area where New York still lags the nation economically: Upstate
Local government and business leaders have begun naming state mandates
that decrease local governments' flexibility while driving up their costs
and taxes.
More than 100 local government and business leaders took part in "mandate
reform roundtables" sponsored by the new Coalition for Mandate Reform
Three members of The Business Council's Environment Committee received The
Council's "Building A Better New York" award, given in recognition for outstanding
contributions to Business Council advocacy efforts.
The awards were presented Nov. 5 at The Business Council's annual environmental
conference in Saratoga Springs
Peter M. Lieb, chief counsel for litigation with International Paper Company,
testified Oct. 14 on behalf of The Business Council in favor of a proposed
expansion of the Commercial Division of the state Supreme Court to Westchester
County.
The Commercial Division was created on an experimental basis in New York City
and Monroe County on the recommendation of a 1995 task force appointed by New
York State Chief Judge Judith Kaye
Industrial customers nationwide in 1997 paid the lowest prices for electricity
in 17 years, according to figures released Nov. 3 by the Energy Information
Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
However, New York State in 1997 still ranked as one of the three most expensive
states in the union for electricity, according to the report