RBA aims high for 2008
Goals include workforce housing and more involvement with minority businesses

By Rebekah Binger
January 22, 2008

The Rockland Business Association laid out its agenda for the new year, which includes bringing more workforce housing to Rockland employees and volunteers as well as greater involvement with minority businesses. RBA President/CEO Al Samuels outlined the business advocacy group’s goals in his yearly State of the RBA address at January’s General Membership Breakfast.

The address entitled “Romanticism vs. Reality: Charting a New Course For Rockland” focused on three issues the RBA will take to Albany.

Workforce Housing

The first would be the creation of workforce housing for those employed in Rockland. Over the past several years, the number of Rockland workers who moved to other counties like Orange and Sullivan has increased, Samuels said.

This trend largely affects volunteer firefighter and EMS workers who cannot afford to live in Rockland. “We cannot continue to afford to train the firefighters for our neighbors to the north,” Samuels said. Samuels proposes that Governor Spitzer’s $400 million housing plan that would provide for public service employees should also include firefighters and EMS volunteers.

Former Pearl River Fire Chief Bill Harris agrees affordable housing must be created to maintain a volunteer force noting that it would cost $120 million per year to pay fire fighters. “Paying for housing is an ant now compared to having a tyrannosaurus later,” he said.

Article X Legislation

Samuels also said the RBA will push for new Article X legislation in Albany that would permit the citing of energy generating facilities. “We must have more power put into the grid,” he said.

Green Committee

At the same time, the RBA is promoting a “Green” way of doing business with the creation of a Green committee under the chairmanship of Michael Shilale. Judah S. Shapiro, ESQ. was happy to hear the RBA was going green. “It’s a global issue that has to be addressed locally,” he said. Orangetown Supervisor Thom Kleiner echoed these sentiments, “The Green committee is important for business to have and partner with environmental groups.”

Minority Business Program

Another 2008 RBA initiative will be an outreach to the minority business community. Under the stewardship of Linwood Carter, the Minority Business Program will offer a year of free membership in the RBA and participation in a broad array of RBA programs. The funding for this initiative will be solicited through sponsorships from RBA member firms and could include government funding, as well.

Members like Robert Salmon of H&S Sales & Consultants supported Samuels’ “ambitious” plan for 2008, “I’m on board 100 percent,” Salmon said. “The business community has to get involved. If we don’t, Rockland County will be a county of rich and poor and no one else.”

The RBA also celebrated its achievements in 2007 including passing the 1,000-member mark; reaching its 40-year anniversary; the formation of the Insurance Committee, under Richard Kohlhausen, and its involvement in the crafting of the anticipated Paid Family Leave Act.

The breakfast was sponsored by the New York Affordable Reliable Electricity Alliance.

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