Buffalo News this morning: "Wednesday, the governor said if the 2009 budget does not hold together, it could require cutting beyond the muscle and into bone." We'd like to get a look at those cuts into muscle. Is the governor talking about the 9,000 addition people the State has hired since the "hiring freeze"? Or the raises for State Senate staff? Perhaps the $170 million in pork that's still in the budget?
As the Senate debates, we continue to weigh in urging our five Upstate senators to vote down the budget. Today, we issued a press release via Unshackle Upstate heralding the Assembly members who voted "no" on the budget (or at least most of it), including all the Republicans and Assemblymembers Hoyt, Schimminger, Gabryszak and DelMonte. Of course, the point of the press release was to get the Upstate Majority Senators to follow suit.
Interestingly, we've heard from our partners marketing our region at the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) conference in Colorado that site selectors from across the nation are already bemoaning what this state budget will do to business in New York State. These are the people who advise clients on where they should locate their business. This is happening already - even before the budget outcome is known. It's easy to get the "cheap pop" on new taxes on water bottles and fishing licenses, but this really puts things in perspective - when people responsible for making recommendations that will lead DIRECTLY to jobs and investment here are telling our reps "Why would anyone go to New York?"
Keep the pressure on.
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