Overnight E-mails

Partnership followers know that we're constantly working to fix the little issues that hold businesses back in our area.  Our work to achieve a big picture impact involves sustained attention to sometimes-unexciting details, and can often go overlooked.

I'm sharing an e-mail we woke up to this morning about our involvement with Unshackle Upstate.  UU was born in our offices and has since grown to become a bi-partisan coalition of 80+ organizations representing upwards of 70,000 companies and employing more than 1.5 million people.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank your organization for the good work it is doing in its attempt to improve the business and living environment in this state.  I firmly believe that the type of government reforms you are pushing for  will reduce the burden on taxpayers without having to destroy services.  There is still alot of good things about this state including our great education system, health care, public safety services and the vast array of quality of life services and it should not have to be a choice between great services and affordable taxes.  We CAN do and MUST have both and I believe that  the type of REFORMS that your organization is promoting will allow that to happen.

I also want to let you know that apparently your message is starting to be heard and followed by many elected officials and politicians around the state.  A friend just sent me some information  about the  mayor of Jamestown, the town that I was born and raised in,  who  sounds like he is singing right out of your choir book.  Even as a Democrat he is pushing for alot of the same government reforms that Unshackle is advocating,   which  will reduce costs  and still preserve our good services.  His recent "State of the City" speech is a good example where the last portion of it hits on alot of your major priorities like the retirement system and the various labor laws that are dragging this state down the hole.

His speech can be found on the Jamestown web site, www.jamestownny.net.  Check it out, you might be just as encouraged as I was.

Thank you again for the good work you are doing.

Keep it up.

Letters like this help us maintain our focus as we dig into complex issues like pension reform, mandate relief, energy siting, funding of public entities, and federal bills, and we hope they help you understand that your involvement in the Partnership is critical to our long term success.

A challenge for our readers on this Friday morning heading into a long (for some of us!) weekend: Click through to thePartnership.org, review what we're working on, and commit yourself to getting involved. Our "events" page is a great place to start.