The Rochester Democrat and Cronicle reports - ““I’ve never been angrier,” Rochester Business Alliance CEO Sandy Parker said today.
“I don’t see anything in (the proposed budget) that’s good,” Parker said, adding that the $132 billion package includes a number of new taxes and fees that likely will push some small businesses to move out of state.
The proposed budget was worked out over the weekend by Gov. David Paterson and the legislative leaders of the Senate and Assembly.
Unshackle Upstate, which was co-created by the Rochester Business Alliance, has begun a campaign asking businesses and business organizations to lobby the five senators, who are the only Democratic senators in upstate New York. The five are Darrel. J. Aubertine, Neil D. Breslin, William T. Stachowski, Antoine M. Thompson and David J. Valesky. None of the five represents a part of the Rochester region.
In the Senate, Democrats have a two-seat majority,
A variety of business organizations and other groups held news conferences in Albany and Rochester to outline what they say will be “devastating” impacts of the budget agreement.
Business Council of New York State CEO Kenneth Adams said the $5.3 billion in new taxes and fees “slams the brakes on our hopes for recovery.”
“Just when we need private sector job growth to get New Yorkers back to work and lift us out of this recession, Albany leaders are telling state employers to take a hike — the largest tax hike in New York State history,” Adams said.”

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