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2008 Top "Button Pushers"
December 30, 2008

At the end of each December since we began sending you these “AJR emails,” our staff looks at the internet analytics from the past 12 months (isn’t technology amazing?!) to determine what the top opened, forwarded and responded to updates were. It’s a “Year in Review,” except that we only are covering the things in which you’ve shown the most interest.
 
So here they are – the “Top 5 Button Pushers of 2008”…
 
#5 – “State Budget 08: State Budget Far from Perfect” (4.10.08)
For the second straight year, the State budget review message was one of the most read. This is not surprising, as it’s generally not easy to make heads or tails of New York State budgets – especially from the position of an employer wondering what new burden Albany’s found this year to make things more difficult for you. While this year’s budget was impressively crafted in the midst of the changeover in gubernatorial administration, the end result showed little difference, with a host of tax and fee increases and, despite warning signs of economic downturn, a wholly inadequate reduction in state spending. In fact, the due diligence that was not put into the 2008-09 state budget necessitated $427 million in emergency budget cuts in August. Governor Paterson’s 2009-10 budget proposal that he released two weeks ago makes it evident that the choice to not cut spending is no longer an option – and the Partnership and Unshackle Upstate have been at the forefront in calling for Albany to change the way it does business (in a far less-costly manner).
 
#4 – “15 Year Anniversary and Annual Report to Members” (6.3.08)
I am pleased that our 15th Year Anniversary e-mail was one of our most popular in 2008. It is important for our members – past and present – to look back and see what we’ve been able to accomplish as an organization. We look forward to adding successes from the latter part of 2008 to that growing list – including the Buffalo Niagara 360 program, which kicked off in a sold-out (beyond building capacity) event in October; and important reform of the state’s Brownfields Clean-up Program, signed by the governor in Buffalo in July.
 
#3 – “End of Session Report 08” (7.1.08)
Once again, we know that one of the most important services the Partnership can offer to employers is keeping you informed of how decisions made in Washington, Albany and county, city and town halls affect you. Your response to these e-mails offering the insights of our staff and lobbyists confirms that. We will continue to make the information obtained through our resources available to you simultaneous to our efforts to advocate on your behalf; thus letting you focus on growing your businesses without having to worry about being blindsided bad legislation and “three men in a room” dealmaking.
 
#2 – “State Elections Primer: Buffalo Niagara will determine future of the State Senate” (10.28.08)
The Partnership’s annual elections “primer” focused on the New York State Senate and how the elections in our region would set the path for the State Senate majority for the next two years (and beyond, considering the upcoming reapportionment from the 2010 census). If we only knew then what we know now… Except, of course, nobody knows anything yet. What we do know is that this e-mail sent a flurry of Partnership members to our “2008 Elections Primer” web page, telling us that being your “eyes and ears” on how politics at all levels of government affect your business should always be one of our top priorities.
 
#1 – “Forbes Response: Forbes needs to take a closer look at Buffalo Niagara!” (8.7.08)
Not surprisingly, because nothing brings this community together more than an outsider saying something negative about us, this response to Forbes labeling Buffalo one of the top 10 “fastest-dying cities” was the year’s “top button-pusher.” In this region (and particularly in this economy), it’s very easy to get mired in what’s wrong, but we need to always keep sight of what’s right – in the case of economic development in Buffalo Niagara it’s flourishing success in a number of industry sectors – life sciences and advanced manufacturing among them. Forbes needed a reality check, and it was my absolute pleasure to send this one along.
 
I must also mention last week’s e-mail concerning Governor Paterson’s 2009/10 budget proposal, as it solicited possibly the most reply e-mails any AJR e-mail has received to date. Special thanks to all of you who have e-mailed me in response to my updates. Your feedback on what’s most important to you is absolutely vital to our crafting the Partnership’s programming and advocacy efforts on your behalf. Plus, it’s good to hear from you.
 
On behalf of the entire staff here at the Partnership, I want to wish you a safe and prosperous new year.

Andrew J. Rudnick
Presidnet & CEO