Recently, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gave his State of the State address, and there are many aspects of it that I would like to discuss over the coming weeks. The issues include tax relief, economic development and many others, but this week I would like to discuss education.

There are exciting opportunities developing here in our region, particularly in the Mohawk Valley. The nano- and high-tech industries are growing in our state, and Central New York is one of the hubs. But in order to be prepared for these new opportunities, we need to ensure that our children develop the skills to secure the jobs currently being created.

The governor said “the best long-term economic development strategy is to have the best education system in the world…,” and I agree. Easily accessible public education that gives students the skills and training to succeed in the job market is critical. Time and time again, public education has proven itself to be the way out of poverty.

Expanded opportunities to study the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are critical to ensuring that the tech-boom is being fed by a pool of talented young workers. The governor emphasized the need to get technology such as laptops, tablets, and broadband in our schools. He has proposed offering a referendum to voters to approve a $2 billion initiative to help struggling schools acquire tools to prepare our children for the emerging technological economy.

I would also like to encourage the expansion of trade curriculum in our BOCES system. The rapid growth of high-tech jobs requires a steady source of workers with traditional trade skills like machining, welding, electrical, and others. The opportunities are great, but our students must have the knowledge and skills to make them marketable in this changing economy.

I am on board with preparing students for these new opportunities, but we cannot forget that a real conversation must take place about the Common Core standards imposed on our children. Parents, students, educators, and administrators are concerned that Common Core, instead of helping our kids, is in fact stifling their educational progress.

While student performance metrics are designed to measure performance, the reality is that each child is different, and forcing them to fit into a mold isn’t helping anyone. Each student is imbued with unique and extraordinary talents, and it is our responsibility to help them harness and finesse those skills so that they can be successful.

Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) is a New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District, which encompasses parts of Oneida, Herkimer, and St. Lawrence counties, as well as all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact him at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us

The unemployment numbers are staggering.

While the Obama Administration touts the official unemployment number, which shows a decline from 10 percent in October 2009 to 6.7 percent in the latest month (December 2013), the “real” numbers are substantially higher. If we include those workers who want to convert their part-time jobs into full-time positions and those who have left the workforce because they are discouraged, the unemployment number exceeds 13 percent. The jobless rate for low-skilled workers has reached as high as 36 percent for African-American teenagers and long-term unemployment reflects levels never seen before. Most ominous is the labor-force participation rate, which has fallen to its lowest levels in more than 35 years.

Washington’s answer to incentivizing people to work and to creating jobs is to double down on the same policies used since Franklin Delano Roosevelt was in office. The short answer is that most of the money and effort expended on creating jobs really goes to supporting the unemployed rather than helping them find gainful employment.

Michael R. Strain, in the lead article in the Winter 2014 issue of National Affairs, proposes a job agenda that can appeal both to conservatives and to liberals. First, government can play a meaningful role in investing in infrastructure by focusing on “longer-lived investment projects.” Forget the so-called, trillion-dollar stimulus of 2009 that turned out to be a payback to Democratic Party supporters. With interest rates at an all-time low, investments in our transportation industry, for example, would pay dividends for decades to come.

Second, roll back many of the licensing requirements that present an obstacle to creating new businesses. Why should a cosmetologist train for 372 days to receive a license while an emergency-medical technician may need just 33 days of training? Three, reform the disability system. The percentage of working-age adults collecting Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits has doubled in 20 years from 2.3 percent of the population to 4.6 percent. SSDI is not intended to be a permanent alternative to work.

Four, any immigrant who earns a graduate degree in engineering, the sciences, technology, or mathematics should immediately become a permanent resident. These highly skilled individuals are responsible for creating a quarter of all the high-tech businesses in America. You want job creation; welcome these immigrants.

Five, promote entrepreneurship. Either reduce or eliminate the capital-gains tax and roll back the octopus of regulatory compliance that is often mindless and never seems subject to review. Six, offer assistance to unemployed workers who want to start businesses. Seven, open up federal lands to more energy exploration.a

Strain’s article also tackles a persistent obstacle to reducing unemployment: Encouraging the unemployed to move where the jobs are located. His suggestions include relocation assistance, sub-minimum wages with subsidies, and work sharing. The relocation assistance contains two parts: basic information about job availability and subsidies to the long-term unemployed to help finance moving from communities with high unemployment. In the past two decades, mobility in America has declined significantly. In the early 1990s, three percent of Americans moved each year. Today, the number is about 1.5 percent.

Our federal minimum wage law prohibits paying a sub-minimum wage. However, there are exemptions, such as those who receive tips, some full-time students employed in retail or at colleges and universities, and workers under the age of 20. There is nothing worse than letting your vocational skills atrophy through unemployment. A sub-minimum wage, paid for a limited period, coupled with subsidies or with the earned-income tax credit could get the long-term unemployed back to work faster and, in the long run, save money.

Strain’s last suggestion is to offer an alternative to layoffs. He proposes increasing work sharing, which is “the redistribution of labor hours among workers with the goal of reducing involuntary unemployment.” Workers would receive “short-time” unemployment insurance to compensate, in part, for the loss of income. Today, only half the states permit work sharing — leaving layoffs as the primary option exercised by employers.

America’s labor market is truly troubled. Every employer recognizes that productive human capital is not being utilized. While the economic tragedy is obvious, what is not really understood is the human tragedy of those who cannot find gainful employment. Their loss is not just monetary; it’s also a loss of dignity and their piece of the American dream.

It’s time for a real jobs agenda. It’s time to change our conventional thinking and sink more resources into creating jobs rather than into sustaining an environment that discourages the search for work.

Norman Poltenson is publisher of The Central New York Business Journal. Contact him at npoltenson@cnybj.com

“While I would love to see 1,000 jobs created in Johnson City as a result of Traditions at the Glen getting a casino license, the simple fact that is that there are not enough people in the area to support a casino and a racino 25 miles apart. 

At Tioga [Downs Casino], we currently do $60 million of slots revenue. And, [Traditions at the Glen owner Bill Walsh, who is bidding on a casino license from the state, said] he thought together we could do $165 million. I find it hard to believe that anyone really thinks that there is another $105 million of casino business in the Binghamton area. 

Our own projections only show an increase of between $30 million and $40 million. It should also be noted that Mr. Walsh references Batavia Downs [Casino] and the fact that they co-exist with the Senecas [who operate the Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel about 50 miles away], which is true. However, he fails to mention that there are 2.2 million people living within 50 miles of Batavia Downs while there are only about 800,000 people living within 50 miles of either Tioga Downs or [Traditions at the Glen.] That makes a big difference. 

At Vernon [Downs], where we compete with Turning Stone [Resort Casino], which is only about 10 miles away, our slots revenue is only $40 million. The other error in Mr. Walsh’s analysis is his contention that our current gaming tax would decline from 68 percent to 37 percent. I wish that were the case, but, in reality, our gaming tax would only decline about 5 percent, which would not offset the approximate $20 million decline in revenue that even Mr. Walsh projects for Tioga [Downs Casino]. 

One additional concern is that, while we are arguing amongst ourselves, there is a third potential licensee [Rochester developer Thomas Wilmot] up in Tyre, which is in Seneca County, and [he] could be a strong contender for a license and we would end up with nothing down here where we desperately need more jobs. Obviously, the Governor has set up a process and hopefully we can convince the Site Selection Committee that we have the best proposal but the argument that 1 + 1 = 3 is unfortunately incorrect.”

Jeffrey Gural

Chairman & CEO

American Racing & Entertainment/

Tioga Downs Casino