Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,C,I-Batavia) today criticized Gov. Cuomo’s economic development strategy, START-UP NY, which establishes exclusive tax-free zones on and near college and university centers where new businesses can re-locate from outside New York State. The program has spent over $200 million in taxpayer money for advertisements and tax breaks, yet only 76 jobs have been created since the program’s inception.

“As an owner of small businesses for over four decades, I know what it takes to grow New York’s economy and create jobs,” Hawley said. “When this program began, I had high hopes it would help create jobs and pull New York’s economy out of the gutter, but now we can see it is a very bad investment and waste of taxpayer money. In business, if you try something new and it doesn’t work, you cut your losses. Spending over $2 million to create ONE job is an abysmal return on investment. A real solution is the Small Business Full Employment Act, A.5898, which would cut taxes and reduce regulations as a means of job growth.”

Hawley’s comments come after members of the Assembly Minority Conference held a press conference this morning in Albany calling for the shut down of START-UP NY.