In an op-ed that appeared in Crain’s, Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State, Inc. stresses the importance of creating private sector jobs as the means to rebuild New York’s economy.

“Last year’s federal stimulus package seems to have made a terrible job-loss situation less bad. But we are not out of the woods. With national unemployment stuck at around 10%, the inevitable question is: What should government do next?

Lawmakers, especially here in New York, must remember that the solution is not for government to “create jobs” itself. Sustainable jobs that add economic value and strengthen (rather than tax) our communities come from the private sector. A better question might be: What should government do to encourage private-sector job growth?

In New York’s case, there are two answers: Remove existing barriers to business investment and job growth, and provide targeted incentives to support job retention and job creation.

The high cost of doing business in this state discourages new investments by businesses and smothers entrepreneurs in emerging sectors. As a result, New Yorkers, especially the young and well-educated, continue to leave for better opportunities elsewhere.

The biggest step for job creation here is a more competitive business climate with lower taxes, lower state-imposed costs in areas like energy and health coverage, and less burdensome regulations. But such improvements will take time to happen. Until then, New York can take smaller steps by offering more-targeted and cost-effective economic incentives to help offset our competitiveness burdens.”

To read the rest of the op-ed click here.

Update from The Business Council of New York State and MACNY on Energy Chair Cahill Introduction of Economic Development Power Program

Today, Assembly Energy Chair Kevin Cahill (D-Kingston) introduced legislation that would create a new a long term economic development power program for New York State. The legislation intends to replace the current Power for Jobs and other economic development power programs, which are slated to expire May 15th, 2010.

When Assemblyman Cahill assumed the leadership role of the Assembly Energy committee, he committed to proposing a long term power program as a solution to the current short term extensions of New York State’s power discount programs that many manufacturers and businesses have come to depend on in order to remain competitive.

To read more click here.

Elizabeth Cooper of the Utica Observer -Dispatch writes - “We knew salaries for nanotechnology jobs were high.

Just not how high.

Alain Kaloyeros, who is one of the prime movers in the effort to bring a Computer Chip Commercialization Center to Marcy, makes a salary of $734,353 in his position as senior vice president and chief executive officer at the University of Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering.

That makes him the second-highest-paid state employee, according to figures provided by the state Comptroller’s Office and to an analysis by Gannett News Service, which reported earlier this week on Kaloyeros’s pay.

Nine others at the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering make more than $170,000 per year, the Comptroller’s Office figures show.

Such pay levels speak to the new opportunities for well-paying jobs in the Mohawk Valley as the nanotech initiative moves forward at SUNYIT in Marcy.

College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering spokesman Steve Janack said people working at the planned nanotech facility could make anywhere from $40,000 to about $200,000, depending on what their job was.”

To read more click here.

Kaitlyn Lionti of New 10 Now reports from Corning - “Getting New York’s economy back on its feet. The President and CEO of the Business Council of New York State came to Corning Wednesday to meet with the Corning and Watkins Glen Area Chambers of Commerce.

The visit was a chance to discuss issues and concerns facing businesses across New York, including the current budget proposal.
“If we can get Albany to reduce state spending, live within its means and reduce taxes, we will have private sector job growth, we will have companies hiring again. We don’t want New York to be the poster child for the jobless recovery,” said Kenneth Adams, the President and CEO of The Business Council of New York State.

One issue Adams addressed is the void the ending of the Empire Zone Program will create for small business.

“To have that expire in June of this year and to not have any other kind of incentive to retain our businesses, much less recruit new business, it’s a very huge issue that needs to be looked at,” said Denise Ackley, President of the Corning Area Chamber of Commerce.”

To read more or watch the video click here.

To read Kenneth Adams speech to the chamber click here.

To say no to new taxes and new spending and to tell Albany lawmakers that you are fed up Click here now!

NewsLI.com reports - “Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) recently joined with the other members of the Senate Republican Conference to announce a major new jobs initiative designed to improve New York’s business climate, reduce taxes, and create thousands of new jobs for workers across the State.

The plan’s centerpiece would reward businesses with a three-year tax credit, averaging between $2,500 and $5,000 for every new job created. It would also eliminate taxes for small businesses and manufacturers that pay the state’s corporate franchise tax and roll back the income tax surcharge that was included in last year’s budget passed by the Democrat-controlled Senate and Assembly. In addition, it also places a moratorium on new taxes, fees and regulations that are inhibiting private sector job-creation efforts in the state…”

“Private sector job creation needs to be New York’s highest priority. This plan addresses this vital need by removing barriers to job growth and giving our citizens hope and opportunity. The tax credit for job creation and the moratorium on new regulations and taxes on small business are effective tools to create jobs. New York has lost hundreds of thousands of jobs because the state spends too much and taxes too much. The spending cap in this plan is an important fiscal reform that must be enacted,” said Kenneth Adams, president and CEO of The Business Council of New York State, Inc.”

To read more click here.

Walter Alarkon writes for TheHill.com - “Democrats are lowering expectations for their jobs bill in the hopes of forestalling Republican criticism.

Lawmakers and administration officials alike have largely avoided talk of how many jobs their various proposals will create. It’s unlike last year, when the Obama administration argued for its $787 billion stimulus by saying it would keep the jobless rate from rising far beyond 8 percent. The current rate is 9.7 percent, down slightly from its 10.2 percent peak in October.”

To read more click here.

The Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reports this morning - “Kraft Foods Inc. has made a verbal commitment to retain its New York state plants, including a facility in Avon, in the wake of its acquisition of British candy maker Cadbury.

As Kraft was in the process of trying to buy Cadbury for $19.5 billion, the U.S. company had indicated it planned to keep open a Cadbury plant in the United Kingdom.

But after completing the acquisition, Kraft this week said the U.K. plant would close after all, with the work sent to Poland.

That prompted Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., to seek assurances from Kraft that the jobs of its approximately 2,000 workers in New York were safe. Schumer said Wednesday he had a conversation with Kraft CEO Irene Rosenfeld in which she said the Cadbury deal shouldn’t result in any layoffs in New York.”

To read more click here.

Mike McAndrew of the Post-Standard writes today - “A state panel voted Tuesday to boot 93 businesses from New York’s Empire Zone tax break program despite reluctance from political appointees to take a stand.

The state’s Empire Zone Designation Board denied for the first time appeals from businesses trying to remain eligible for the tax breaks.

The Wilmorite Group’s Mall at Greece Ridge in Rochester will lose about $3.1 million per year in tax credits as a result of the vote.
Thomas Wilmot, chairman of The Wilmorite Group, said his firm may not be able to proceed with a planned $35 million renovation of Greece Ridge Mall if it loses its Empire Zone benefits…

Ken Pokalsky, policy analyst of the Business Council of New York State, also criticized the decision to boot 93 businesses from the program.

“It strikes us as a terrible policy,” Pokalsky said.

The EZDB has not ruled on appeals filed by 294 businesses. Still pending are appeals from several Central New York businesses with millions at stake.

Read the rest of the story click here.

In testimony before a joint legislative hearing on taxes, Marcus Ferguson of The Business Council made clear the Council’s opposition to a proposed tax on sugared beverages.

“This additional beverage tax on soft drinks would cause serious economic impacts across New York. It would amount to lost jobs and the dislocation of existing businesses. The Governor’s plan would impose an excise tax on syrups and simple syrups at a rate of $7.68 a gallon and $1.28 a gallon on bottled soft drinks. Such a tax would raise prices on drinks leading to lost sales and jobs not only in the beverage industry but would be a loss to other businesses that supply these companies and sell their products.

When demand for a product drops substantially, the result will be a loss in jobs, as producers respond to the drop in demand by cutting back on production. This happens because as the price of a good increases demand for the product will drop, as consumers either purchase substitutes or stop buying the product altogether.”

To read the rest of the testimony click here.

Stephen Powers and Ian Talley report in today’s Wall Street Journal - “A growing number of state regulators are urging the Obama administration to slow the rollout of proposed federal rules curbing industrial greenhouse-gas emissions, saying the administration’s approach could overwhelm them with paperwork, delay construction projects and undercut their own efforts to fight climate change.

Some state regulators are calling on the EPA to go slowly with its new emissions rules. Above, the Pittsburg power plant in Pittsburg, Calif.
The concerns echo some criticisms that business groups — including the American Petroleum Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers — have voiced about the potential consequence of new regulations, though the states generally don’t challenge the legality of the proposed regulations, as some business groups have. Indeed, many state regulators continue to say they support the Environmental Protection Agency’s effort to regulate greenhouse gases. Their concerns, they say, have more to do with how quickly such rules should be phased in, and how to pay for an expansion in regulatory oversight at a time when their budgets are in the red.

Regulators from around the U.S., including Kansas, Pennsylvania, Florida and California, are calling on the EPA to go slowly with its new rules, and in some cases warning that they lack funding to regulate some of the new emissions sources that would be covered.”

To read the rest of the story click here.