Statement from Ken Pokalsky, Vice President, The Business Council of New York State
Today, the Rockefeller Institute of Government released a study that shows a major decline in the population of New York’s Upstate Rural communities. While we are deeply troubled by this reality, it is important that additional voices are confirming what we have been saying for over a decade. The Business Council has long cautioned elected officials about the decline in the Upstate economy that has led to this population decline and has warned against reliance on metrics such as unemployment figures which don’t take into account what this recent report shows; a declining workforce and population across much of the state, resulting from a lack of economic opportunity. Restoring these areas of the state will take the hard work of restoring the state’s economic competitiveness. Policymakers can help only by turning their focus to an agenda that helps foster the growth of businesses and the jobs that they bring; and by refraining from burdensome new taxes, mandates or unwarranted regulations.
11
Oct
2019