“The report released by New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is another indictment of the START-UP NY program. There has been no tangible benefit to the high-priced advertising of this program, both in New York and in the other states like Iowa and New Hampshire. This START-UP gimmick makes for a great PowerPoint presentation and for decent headlines across the state, but it doesn’t create a healthy economy. A healthy economy can only come from unleashing ingenuity through alleviating the regulatory and tax burdens that stifle creativity and entrepreneurship. We can’t afford to continue to trim around the edges of this issue. Let’s cut taxes for everyone, and eliminate the mountains of red tape chasing our neighbors and small businesses from the state.”

Assemblyman David DiPietro is the Ranking Minority Member of the Assembly Committee on Small Business, and has operated his own small business for nearly 25 years.