More than 900 participants from employers of all sizes and types have joined The Business Council's "e-advocacy" effort to repeal New York's gross receipts tax (GRT) on energy bills.
By April 12, these participants had generated 16,706 faxed letters to the Governor, legislative leaders, and key lawmakers on this issue.
The campaign is continuing. During budget negotiations this week, it was widely reported that repeal of the energy GRT remained a possibility.
The Chamber Alliance of New York State (CANYS), an association of local chambers across the state, has been a strong supporter of the effort, said Ken Pokalsky, who is coordinating the effort for The Business Council.
Many participants are smaller employers asked to join by local chambers of commerce at the urging of CANYS, he said. Many local chambers posted links to e-advocacy site on their own webpages.
The Council pioneered web-based e-advocacy last year when a broader effort to support a diverse group of tax cuts led to more than 50,000 letters being sent to legislative leaders and key staff in Albany.