Empire State Development head hears concerns from Chamber members
Ryan Gleason - January 11, 2012For Immediate Release__________________________ ______________________________ January 11, 2012
Contact: Ryan Gleason, Communications Coordinator (718) 727-1900 ● (f) (718) 727-2295
Staten Island, NY. January 11, 2012 – In a proactive move to convey Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2012 agenda outlined in last week’s State of the State address, Ken Adams, the President of Empire State Development, traveled to the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce office to meet with board members and business owners. In his hour long presentation, Mr. Adams touched on topics important to the economic development of Staten Island in the coming year, and took questions from Chamber members on everything from Port Authority toll increases to DEC regulations on waterfront development.
Formerly of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce and the Business Council of New York State, Mr. Adams, who was confirmed by the legislature in 2011, leads the state’s top agency for economic development and job promotion. His presentation to Chamber members overviewed Governor Cuomo’s priority initiatives outlined in the State of the State address, touched on 2011’s legislative accomplishments, such as the new tax reform package, and laid out the economic blueprint for 2012.
New initiatives, like a second round of Regional Economic Development Council funding, a proposed constitutional amendment to legalize gambling, the establishment of a New York work force fund to finance infrastructure initiatives, and a proposed program to finance energy infrastructure initiatives, were all discussed. But the real questions Chamber members had focused in on taxes, state and city agency regulations, and onerous toll increases recently enacted by the Port Authority.
On tolls especially, Chamber member Bob Cutrona stated that the cost of doing business on Staten Island puts companies at a real competitive disadvantage. “We are losing business. We just cannot compete in the region,” Cutrona said. Chamber President Linda Baran re-affirmed the point that Staten Island sees little to no return on transportation investments, and that more needed to be done to offer alternatives. “Staten Island doesn’t have the options that the rest of the boroughs have, there is no subway into Manhattan – we cannot even get into New Jersey.” Adams encouraged the Chamber and its members to continue partnering with local elected officials to push the issue, and hoped to work further with the Chamber in the coming months.
Adams closed by saying that the Governor’s office was aware of the problems that Staten Island businesses and residents are facing, and said that meetings like this were essential to gathering information and finding solutions.
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