Through [her Jan. 10] State of the State address, Gov. [Kathy] Hochul offered an optimistic vision for New York, while delivering a clear and direct set of proposals to address some of the critical issues currently facing the state. After working together here in Central New York to attract the largest economic-development project in the […]
Through [her Jan. 10] State of the State address, Gov. [Kathy] Hochul offered an optimistic vision for New York, while delivering a clear and direct set of proposals to address some of the critical issues currently facing the state. After working together here in Central New York to attract the largest economic-development project in the nation, we share Gov. Hochul’s belief that our potential is limitless — and there is still work to do.
We applaud Gov. Hochul for her unambiguous statement that New York will not raise income taxes. Recognizing that, particularly downstate, New York is losing population, we must work together to make our state more affordable and more inviting to all.
Highlighting New York’s increasingly urgent housing shortage, the governor correctly assesses that there can be no solution to housing affordability without the development of new homes. State support for infrastructure costs, transit-oriented development and incentives for low- and moderate-income housing are all important pieces necessary to reach the governor’s goal of developing 800,000 new units by the end of the decade. We encourage the governor to work with local communities toward the adoption of best practices and streamlining of approval processes for new housing.
Implementation of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act will also be a vital issue for New York businesses this year. Climate change must be addressed, but it must be done with a recognition that initiatives that harm our business competitiveness also harm our ability to reach New York’s climate goals. We’re pleased that Gov. Hochul has acknowledged this and encourage her administration to engage businesses and impacted communities across the state.
We are pleased that Gov. Hochul’s agenda will build on Micron’s historic investment in Central New York with a new state office to support the growth of the semiconductor industry, expand the Excelsior Jobs program and provide enhancements to New York’s minority and women-owned business enterprise certifications, including opportunities for MWBE reciprocity.
Robert M. Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development and chamber of commerce organization for Central New York. This article is drawn and edited from a Jan. 10 statement that Simpson issued in response to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s State of the State Address, outlining her priorities for the year ahead.