Urgent Letter seeking reform sent to lawmakers by business leaders

Urgent Letter Seeking Reform Sent to Lawmakers by Business Leaders

May 30, 2006
By Dylan Skriloff

The RBA was among 62 business and trade organization that endorsed the "Action for Jobs 2006" letter recently sent to Albany lawmakers. The business community is seeking post-budget action to improve New York's economic climate and attract new jobs.

"The group is the largest coalition of New York business organizations ever to coalesce around an agenda to make the state's economy more competitive and to bring jobs and people back to New York," said Matthew McGuire of the Business Council of New York State.

The letter called for a few specific measures, the first - put an end to the health-insurance mandate bills circulating in the Legislature, the second - reform Workers Compensation and the Scaffold Law and the final – adopt serious debt reform.

"The Legislature's budget this year did little or nothing to improve business conditions. I hope this letter helps wake-up our representatives to the situation we are dealing with," RBA CEO and President Al Samuels said.

TEXT OF LETTER -

Action for Jobs '06

The New York State economy needs your help. We haven't made up the jobs lost in the last recession – while the nation is some 2 million jobs ahead. We lose an average of 200,000 New Yorkers every year, in net out-migration to other states.

As 62 organizations representing more than 104,000 employers who provide over 3.2 million jobs in this state, we believe it's time to start turning things around.

The budget aside, here are three priorities we believe the Legislature must address if we are to make a start on improving our economy and growing jobs:

Kill the mandatory health coverage bills. Health insurance is so expensive many
employers can't afford to pay for it. Now there are bills to force them to pay for it
anyway. This will strangle their ability to afford the employees, too. Let's make health
insurance more affordable – not more onerous.
Make workplace safety cost-effective. That means fixing workers' comp, and reforming Section 240/241 – the "scaffold law."
Adopt serious debt reform. This year's budget proves that even in good years, New York finds it all too tempting to pile on spending by adding to the taxpayers' debt burden.

Now is the time to pass the debt reforms recommended by Comptroller Hevesi.

In 2005 New York grew jobs by 0.5% — only about one-third the national average. We'd have 86,000 jobs more than we do today if we'd merely matched the national average for only one year. We can't afford to wait any longer. We want to work with you to address these priorities. The Legislature needs to act now.

LIST OF ORGANIZATIONS

The Business Council of NYS, Inc.
New York Farm Bureau, Inc.
National Federation of Independent Business
New York State Economic Development Council
Retail Council of New York State
General Building Contractors
Northeast Retail Lumber Association
New York Association of Convenience Stores
Empire State Forest Products Association
New York State Hospitality & Tourism Association
New York State Food Industry Alliance
Property Casualty Insurers Association of America
New York Workers Compensation Action Network
Adirondack Regional Chamber of Commerce
Amherst Chamber of Commerce
Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce
Buffalo Niagara Partnership
Cayuga County Chamber of Commerce
Chautauqua County Chamber of Commerce
Cheektowaga Chamber of Commerce
Manufacturers Association of Central New York
Chemung County Chamber of Commerce
Chenango County Chamber of Commerce
Columbia County Chamber of Commerce
Corning Area Chamber of Commerce
Cortland County Chamber of Commerce
Delaware County Chamber of Commerce
Greater East Aurora Chamber of Commerce
Finger Lakes Chamber of Commerce
Fulton County Regional Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Genesee County Chamber of Commerce
Greece Chamber of Commerce
Hornell Chamber of Commerce
Lancaster Area Chamber of Commerce
Manhattan Chamber of Commerce
Mohawk Valley Chamber of Commerce
Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce
New Paltz Regional Chamber of Commerce
Niagara USA Chamber
Orange County Chamber of Commerce
Orchard Park Chamber of Commerce
The Otsego County Chamber
Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce
Poughkeepsie Chamber of Commerce
Queens Chamber of Commerce
Rochester Builders Exchange
Rochester Business Alliance
Rockland Business Association
Rome Area Chamber of Commerce
Saint Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce
Saranac Lake Area Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Schenectady County
Schoharie County Chamber of Commerce
Seneca County Chamber of Commerce
Greater Southern Dutchess Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber of Southern Saratoga County
Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce
Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of Commerce of the Tonawandas
Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce
Business Council of Westchester
Wyoming County Chamber of Commerce

June 12, 2006

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