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Defending against the "dirty dozen"
June 9, 2010

One more time, let me state the obvious about Albany : it’s a total mess.

Right now, (and, unfortunately for the umpteenth year in a row…), the most important role we’re playing in Albany is one of defense. At the Partnership’s annual report to members yesterday, I spoke about the work we do every day to watch the backs of Buffalo Niagara employers, and take on the actions of our New York City dominated state legislature – and some legislators closer to home – that would drive the private sector out of the state, if not out of business altogether.

Tomorrow, along with our colleagues at Unshackle Upstate and other like-minded business organizations, we will be rallying in Albany to bring attention to some of the biggest job killing bills currently on the table – we’re calling them the “dirty dozen.”

It’s more than despicable that in this economic climate, while hardworking New Yorkers struggle with unemployment and high taxes, legislators are making proposals that scream: “You thought New York was a bad state for business? You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

Three examples from the dirty dozen:

1). Local legislators Senator Antoine Thompson and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt’s so-called IDA “reform,” sends the worst possible message to prospective investors in New York. IDA incentives exist to offset some of the high cost of doing business in our state. The Thompson-Hoyt bill’s various mandates would actually make IDA-supported projects 28 percent more expensive to build…and would dictate what tenants in those buildings would have to pay their employees.

2). State and local government taxes already make up more than a quarter of your electric bill. On top of that, legislators in Albany now want to prescribe the wages the state’s private sector utilities pay their vendors (janitors, guards, maintenance workers, caterers). If this happens, the added costs to ratepayers could exceed $50 million. The worst part? This appears all designed to appease New York City unions during an election year.

3). Currently, New York imports about 95 percent of its natural gas from other states. But major economic opportunity exists in the Marcellus Shale in New York (along the PA border): A report from the Penn State Workforce Education and Development Initiative estimates that for each $1 billion of royalty income generated by the Marcellus Shale reserves, the state could gain 7,880 jobs this year, and close to 8,000 next year. But New York , rather than supporting this potential growth while simultaneously ensuring environmental safeguards and landowner protections, is stalling (and there’s even legislation on the table ensure it doesn’t move). The result? Pennsylvania is reaping the rewards.  

Frustrated? Join the Unshackle Army, get politically involved and register everyone you know to vote!


Sincerely,

Andrew J. Rudnick

P.S.   Before you fall on your swords, you also should know there are some thoughtful, proactive plans coming from some members of our own delegation – Assemblyman Dennis Gabryszak’s proposal to keep the cash from the sale of unused hydropower in our region for development projects, Assemblyman Robin Schimminger’s Jobs 4 NY proposal to jumpstart economic recovery and Senator George Maziarz’s improvement to the state’s low-cost power program. Whether they’ll rise like a phoenix from ugliness at the capitol is another story…