Certain areas of New York are finally making important steps in a positive direction after weeks of lockdown orders and business closures. While there is cautious optimism in the regions that started reopening May 15 — the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, and North Country — we must remember there is […]
Certain areas of New York are finally making important steps in a positive direction after weeks of lockdown orders and business closures. While there is cautious optimism in the regions that started reopening May 15 — the Finger Lakes, Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley, Central New York, and North Country — we must remember there is still much work to do, and many of the risks associated with the public-health crisis have not disappeared.
The financial impacts of COVID-19 on our local and state economies cannot be understated. Residents, small-business owners, and unemployed workers are facing enormous financial shortfalls. Local and state governments will also be forced to manage major budget gaps, very likely, for years to come. As we prepare for life on the other side of this pandemic, it is critical we integrate the valuable lessons we have learned during this experience.
On May 13, we heard directly from business owners and advocates regarding their own experiences during this unprecedented health crisis. Nearly 20 panelists provided their stories during a joint legislative hearing, which reviewed the government’s response to COVID-19 within the small-business community. Across a number of different sectors, delays in loan processing, supply-chain disruptions, a lack of information, and a host of other challenges were detailed by an understandably frustrated and anxious community.
The Assembly Minority Conference has always fought for the state’s small businesses and job-creators. As the process of reopening New York gets under- way, we will continue to provide whatever help we can to get businesses up and running again. There is a long road ahead for businesses that have been forced to close and for employees who are out of work. For state policymakers, it’s time to finally establish an economic climate that fosters prosperity, and eliminates the old way of doing business, which relied heavily on high taxes and costly regulations.
I’m proud to have offered numerous proposals designed to help right the ship. If we are going to rebuild New York, it must be done with sustained improvements. To that end, the Assembly Minority has proposed the “Jump-Start New York” initiative, featuring a number of economic-relief measures that provide a blueprint for sustained recovery in the early days of reopening and well into the future.
Merely reopening New York will not suffice. We must facilitate a better economy with a more resilient health-care infrastructure. We must not only fix the damage done to our state, but also enhance its capacity for growth. There is still much work left to do.
William (Will) A. Barclay, Republican, is the New York Assembly Minority Leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact Barclay at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or (315) 598-5185.