Members of the Assembly Minority Conference held a press conference Wednesday to call for the immediate shut down of START-UP NY, a Governor Cuomo initiative designed to make New York State more business friendly and create jobs.
“Over $200 million has gone into START-UP NY and only a paltry 76 jobs have been created,” said Assemblyman Dean Murray (R,C,I-East Patchogue).
“This is just unacceptable. We need to pull the plug on this disaster, stop relying on cheap gimmicks and costly ad campaigns and get back to measures that are proven to work,” he said.
A May 2015 audit from State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office found that Empire State Development’s $211 million advertising campaign to promote START-UP NY’s economic development and tourism efforts has produced “no tangible results” with respect to attracting new business and creating jobs.
In fact, according to the Department of Labor, New York lost roughly 4,600 manufacturing jobs over the last year, while the START-UP NY program only created 76 jobs during the same period.
“Small-business owners are seeing their tax dollars used to promote an alleged ‘new New York,’ when for them nothing has changed,” said Mike Durant, New York Director of National Federation of Independent Business.
Needed are broad tax cuts and sensible regulatory reform, according to Durant.
“It is imperative that Albany comprehensively addresses the barriers to growth on Main Street,” he said.
Earlier this year, the Assembly Minority introduced the “Small Business Full Employment Act,” a plan to bring long-term success to small businesses.
Supported by the NFIB, the legislation includes a number of provisions that would provide long-term tax and regulatory relief to small-business owners.
Among them are a 10 percent Personal Income Tax exemption, tax credits and a repeal of the 18-A energy tax, that Director Durant said was “onerous.”
“We need to get back to what really works: cutting the red tape that stifles new and existing businesses,” said Assemblyman Murray.
“We also need to end the nickel-and-diming that’s made living and working here oppressive and forces businesses to shutter their doors. Instead of trying to invent innovation and progress, let’s take a step back, give our entrepreneurs and successful businesses room to breathe and reward the businesses that have been here, play by the rules and help our economy grow,” he said.
