Recent scandals have rocked state government and justifiably outraged taxpayers. Unfortunately, well-funded special interests are arguing that the appropriate response to these scandals is for hard-working New York taxpayers to give politicians even more money.

These special interests are trying to convince us that publicly financed campaigns will make everything better. Taxpayers and hardworking small business owners aren’t buying it.

The money we earn shouldn’t be taken to pay for political campaigns. Why should we be forced to fund ideas or candidates we don’t support? Why should we foot the bill for campaign consultants, robo-calls and political attack ads against people we do support?

Here is how it would work. A local senator gets a campaign contributor to give her $100. Then taxpayers are forced to hand over $600 to that senator’s campaign. Not a bad deal for the senator right? But it’s a lousy deal for taxpayers.

It’s called a “6 to 1 match”, and it’s at the very heart of the “reform” known as taxpayer-funded political campaigns. It’s one of the worst ideas to come out of Albany in decades.

Throughout upstate, our schools are feeling the budget crunch. Our roads and bridges are in need of repair and our local governments are cutting back on vital services. Meanwhile, New York continues to have some of the highest taxes in the nation, as well as an unfavorable business climate.

Given all of that, the idea that Albany would launch a massive new spending program on political campaigns is completely outrageous.

We have consistently led the effort to create a better climate for job opportunities upstate. In this instance, we don’t even know what the program will cost. Whether it will cost $20 million or $200 million, it’s too much. We simply can’t afford it. We have no doubt that those costs would balloon every few years – if politicians say a 6-to-1 match is good, then why not an 8-to-1, or 12-to-1 match?

But recent debates and arguments on the projected costs of a new public campaign finance system actually miss the larger point: Having taxpayers pay for political campaigns is simply bad public policy.

Giving politicians even more money, especially our money, is equivalent to welfare for the political class. So let’s be clear on this subject: Not one penny of our money should be wasted on political campaigns.

(originally carried by the Buffalo News)

The Legislature is in session today, tomorrow, Wednesday and Thursday.

Later today, the Assembly Cities committee holds a public hearing on the Comptroller’s new Fiscal Stress Monitoring System.

On Tuesday, June 11, the American Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) will hold a seminar on how companies can use natural gas to enhance their business and their bottom line.

On Wednesday, June 12, the Empire Energy Forum is holding an event in its “Women and Energy” series on hydraulic fracturing and natural gas development in New York State.

The State Board of Regents meets on June 17 and 18 in Albany.

The 2013 Legislative Session is scheduled to end on Thursday, June 20.

Tuesday, June 25 is the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s Annual Report to Members.

Also on June 25, MACNY holds a human resources breakfast briefing on employee misclassification issues – employee vs. independent contractor.

The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported last week that New York’s economy grew by only 1.3 percent last year, trailing the 2.5 percent growth in gross domestic product for the nation as a whole.  To put this in a larger context, New York ranked 37 among states in economic growth in 2012.

This is just another reminder that we have much, much more work to do in order to get Upstate New York working again.

Natural gas extraction has done wonders in Pennsylvania; according to this report moving forward with high volume hydraulic fracturing would help the Southern Tier’s economy tremendously.

So we will ask again….why not in New York?

Last week, Empire State Development (ESD) announced that competition guidelines and resources are available for the third round of the Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative.

Up to $750 million in economic development resources will be available to applicants through the 2013 REDC process.  Read more about the REDC process here.

Last week Gov. Cuomo announced the release of the state’s first-ever 10-year Statewide Capital Plan, which coordinates $174 billion in existing capital investment dollars across 47 State agencies and authorities.

Gov. Cuomo said:

“The NY Works Task Force has released a visionary roadmap on how we will leverage state resources to improve infrastructure in all corners of New York, save money for taxpayers, and compete in the global economy. This is a plan that will put New Yorkers to work and accelerate economic development over the next decade.”

The NY Works Task Force includes finance, labor, planning and transportation experts; the group has been tasked with coordinating a statewide infrastructure plan.  Read more about the task force at http://www.nyworkstaskforce.ny.gov/.

We continue to work to reform the state’s outdated and anti-business Scaffold Law.  This law adds thousands of dollars to the cost of new construction and is standing in the way of economic growth.  Reforming the Scaffold Law will help make New York more competitive.  But more importantly, it will save TAXPAYERS millions of dollars each year.  That is money we can use to make better schools, better public buildings, and better roads and bridges.

Did you know that after Illinois repealed its scaffold law in 1995, construction fatalities plunged and employment increased?  Read more about how this law hurts us all here.

And we urge you to join the effort to repeal this senseless law by taking action here.  Let’s once and for all reform this law that is more about the old New York than it is the new New York.

Last Friday, Albany Times Union reported that Jim Malatras, Gov. Cuomo’s Deputy Secretary for Policy and Programs, will be leaving the Executive Chamber to take a position at the State University of New York (SUNY) as senior vice chancellor and chief operating officer.

I have had the good fortune to work with Jim on a number of issues – the real property tax cap among them – and his departure is a major loss for the Administration and our business community.  Jim understands our challenges and was always willing to listen to our ideas.  He is leaving some big shoes to fill.

We wish him well in his future endeavor.

As the 2013 legislative session approaches its scheduled June 20 end, attention is focusing on the Senate’s Majority Coalition.  The Senate’s 30 Republicans have joined with one Democrat (Sen. Simcha Felder of Brooklyn) and the four Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) members to form the Senate Majority Coalition.

Advocates are pressuring the IDC to have three of the Governor’s priority issues brought to the Senate floor for a vote before the legislative session comes to an end – public financing of campaigns (read our Op-Ed on the subject here) a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, and the 10-point Women’s Equality Act.

Gov. Cuomo continues to focus his attention on his Tax Free NY proposal, which would “entice companies to invest in Upstate New York by offering new businesses the opportunity to operate completely tax-free – including no income tax for employees, no sales, property or business tax – for a decade, while also partnering with the world-class public and private higher education institutions.” Read the Governor’s recent newspaper editorial in support of Tax Free NY.

Last Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo finally released the bill text on his 10-point women’s equality plan.  The bill includes a number of anti-discrimination provisions, but its most controversial aspect is language that codifies federal abortion rights into state law.

The bill includes language that, according to the Governor, would guarantee a woman’s right to an abortion as established by Roe v. Wade, and also ensures a right to late-term abortions when the health of the pregnant woman is at risk or when the fetus is not viable, as determined by a doctor.

Because of sensitivity to the issue of abortion, it’s unclear whether this bill will be approved before the end of session.

Also last week, he released his Upstate NY Gaming Economic Development Act, which — if the state constitution is amended to permit commercial casino gambling — will authorize the siting of up to three “destination resorts” that include casino gambling in the state outside of the New York City area.

Unshackle Upstate does not have a position on casino gambling (but we are not at all happy about the provision calling for the use of Project Labor Agreements and the application of Prevailing Wages on what will be private projects), but we are pretty confident that it will not save the Upstate economy.  We need real state regulatory reform, tax relief, and local government mandate relief.  Destinations resorts might be a nice place to visit, but for most of us, they will not provide any benefits.

Recent data from a national study ranks New York State as number 1 for the highest state and local tax burden at a whopping 12.8%! With a national average of 9%, New York taxpayers pay a 3.8% premium over the national average for the privilege of residing in New York. It is no wonder why states with lower state and local tax burdens such as Tennessee (7.7%), Texas (7.9%), Louisiana (7.8%), Nevada (8.2%), and Alabama (8.2%) are seeing increases in population and substantial economic growth while the upstate economy continues to struggle and lose population.

Recent television advertisements state that “New York Is Open For Business”, but with tax rates that place us the worst of all the 50 states one has to wonder “do we deserve better”? On a positive note, we only have an upside to get out of the “taxation cellar”. The Council For Community & Economic Research ranks national cost of living data and the news is only marginally better as New York is ranked 46 out of 50. In a state where we experience the highest taxes of any other state in the nation, Albany needs to devise strategies to curb their spending habits and look for ways to reduce tax burdens for New York State residents. Why is this concept so hard for our state legislators to understand?

The Legislature is in session today, tomorrow and Wednesday this week.

On Monday, June 3, the Senate Health Committee and the Legislative Commission on Rural Resources will hold a roundtable to examine the state of New York’s rural hospitals.

On June 4, the state Office of Cyber Security hosts the 16^th Annual New York State Cyber Security Conference in Albany.

On June 5, the Empire Center will hold a panel on the Upstate Jobs Crisis in Albany.

Friday, June 7 is the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s 360 Government Unplugged.

On Monday, June 10, the Assembly Cities committee holds a public hearing on the Comptroller’s new Fiscal Stress Monitoring System.

On Tuesday, June 11, the American Natural Gas Alliance (ANGA) will hold a seminar on how companies can use natural gas to enhance their business and their bottom line.

On Wednesday, June 12, the Empire Energy Forum is holding an event in event in its “Women and Energy” series on hydraulic fracturing and natural gas development in New York State.

The State Board of Regents meets on June 17 and 18 in Albany.

The 2013 Legislative Session is scheduled to end on Thursday, June 20.

Tuesday, June 25 is the Buffalo Niagara Partnership’s Annual Report to Members.

Also on June 25, MACNY holds a human resources breakfast briefing on employee misclassification issues – employee vs. independent contractor.