While I certainly appreciate the Governor’s words when he says he wants to help improve the upstate economy, I am concerned with his approach of creating another upstate competition that simply picks winners and losers.

It is imperative that we dramatically change the business climate in this state in order to encourage private sector investment back into our upstate economy. We can and should send a much stronger message to the business community and job creators that we truly are “Open for Business.” We should be taking bold and aggressive measures to reduce the tax and regulatory burden that is placed on all of our small businesses, manufacturers and families in Upstate New York, instead of picking out a select few winners. It is long past due to stop tinkering around the edges of economic development, tax and regulatory relief, and finally provide families and the private sector confidence that New York really wants business and jobs to come here, stay here, and grow here.