In today’s economy, it is more important than ever for employers to draw upon the skills of the 54 million Americans are living with a disability. This innovative and often underutilized talent pool as a potential source of employees. Likewise it’s essential for employers to consider the growing number of consumers with disabilities as a potential market. Implementing inclusive workplace practices and offering disability-friendly service benefits everyone and can help businesses succeed.

At The Business Council we hope that you will find Disability.gov as a valuable resource for finding answers to questions about disability-related programs, services, laws and benefits.

On this site employers are connected to thousands of national, state and local resources on topics such as tax incentives, tips for recruiting and interviewing a person with a disability, workplace accommodations and how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) affects businesses.

2-1-1 in the Hudson Valley and Long Island region will be available 24/7 to answer non-emergency calls throughout the weekend, in response to the onset of Hurricane Earl. United Way of Long Island and United Way of Westchester and Putnam are working with their local governments and emergency managers to coordinate the provision of accurate and up to date information.

2-1-1 Hudson Valley provides services to Long Island and the North Country in addition to its own region.

From within the service area residents can dial 2-1-1. From outside the service area (for example if a family member who lives in another part of the state is looking for assistance for a family member who lives in the area) 2-1-1 Hudson Valley can be reached through an 800 number: 800-899-1479.

In New York City 2-1-1 can be reached by dialing either 3-1-1 or 2-1-1.

Craig Wolf of the Poughkeepsie Journal reports - “BM Corp. announced today that the chips inside its latest mainframe computer boast the fastest clock speed of any processors out there.

“The world’s fastest computer chip” is called a z196 and is what powers the zEnterprise mainframe computers that IBM will begin shipping out of the Poughkeepsie plant Sept. 10.

Making large computers and microchips is IBM’s main business in Dutchess County, where it employs several thousand. The health of the mainframe business is thus a key for the local economy.”

To read more click here.

Unshackle Upstate, a coalition representing more than 70,000 employers with 1.5 million workers, released today its rankings of all 212 state legislators.

They have two goals for these legislative scorecards. Primarily, Unshackle Upstate wants to provide all New Yorkers with a thorough informational tool that clearly demonstrates which elected officials have acted in the best interest of the taxpayers of this state and which ones have not. Secondly, we want to encourage all elected officials to embrace our agenda of reducing taxes, fees and assessments; cutting state and local spending; reducing state borrowing and curtailing mandates.

To see your local legislator’s score click here.

The November elections will be critical to shaping the future of our state. We hope that you find the information on your Senators and Assembly Members valuable when you’re considering who to support on Election Day.

The Business Council joins Unshackle Upstate in the belief that for those elected officials that scored well, you should consider keeping them in office. For those that did not, ask them why they did not support the taxpayers of the state of New York and then ask yourself if you should support them. We encourages you to challenge our elected officials to defend the interest of taxpayers…or get a new job!

The Business Council of New York State and New York State SHRM are proud to announce the 4th Annual “Best Companies to Work for in New York” program. Don’t miss out on your chance to be recognized as one of the best places to work in all of New York State. The registration deadline is October 22, 2010.

Go to http://www.nysshrm.org/Best_Companies_1.php to register. Got questions? Contact Jessica Pouchan: (717) 909-1570 / jessicap@bestcompaniesgroup.com

or Lorri Zelman at (212) 403-6170 / lzelman@spges.com.

Did you see the list of winners list from last year? The list as well as the registration form can be found at http://www.nysshrm.org/Best_Companies_1.php.

Sign up today!

Blake Fleetwood the former reporter for the New York Times and Daily News writes in the Huffington Post about Ed Koch’s effort to name the bums and get them out of office. All to build a better New York.

“I have always admired the blunt wisdoms of the very old (and sometimes the very rich or the insane). Like the court jesters in Shakespeare’s plays, they have nothing to lose and often speak truths that no one else dare utter.

Which is why I am intrigued by former Mayor Ed Koch’s Don Quixote campaign to rid the New York State’s dysfunctional legislature of all the crooks and bums. Koch, at age 85, is like the child who cried out “The emperor has no clothes,” a truth that everyone knew, yet none dared voice. Koch calls his quest, New York Uprising, and it deserves the support of us all.”

To read more click here.

New York state employers responding to a Business Council survey have once again overwhelmingly identified employee health care as their top cost-of-doing-business concern. The new survey also showed strong employer concern about business taxes and economic development incentives.

To read more about how Business Council member firms ranked various public-policy issues within each of two areas: cost-of-doing business and economic development click here.

TimeWarner Cable YNN reporter Steve Ference looks at the cost of hiring employees in New York and the attitudes found in The Business Council of New York State’s member survey on the business climate.

To watch his report click here.

NYSEG and RG&E have partnered with EnerPath to offer a Small Business Energy Efficiency program in most of their services areas. Eligible businesses, with demand of less than 100 kilowatts, will receive a free energy assessment to measure their energy efficiency. As part of this program NYSEG or RG&E will cover 70% of the cost of recommended lighting upgrades for their customers.

Read more.

Despite overwhelming frustration with state government and a difficult economic climate, employers who responded to a Business Council survey were optimistic about economic recovery.

“Although they have dealt with a difficult recession and a hostile business environment in New York, our members believe their businesses will grow and their bottom lines will improve over the next 18 months,” said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc. “They are not reaching for any champagne yet, but they see economic improvement ahead in 2011,” he added.

The electronic survey which was conducted in June and July asked Business Council members about the economic climate they have faced in the past six months and their outlook over the next six months and the next 12 to 18 months.

To read more on the survey’s findings click here.