ALBANY— Local taxes in New York Statefar and away the highest
in the nationcould be cut by at least $5 billion a year if Governor
Pataki and the Legislature reform costly state mandates on municipalities
and school districts, a new book from The Public Policy Institute of
New York State says
By Ed Reinfurt
Any business owner will tell you that the key to prosperity is winning
customers' confidence and trust.
In America, this has been a truism of commerce in turn-of-the-century
general stores, in Manhattan's first department stores, in post-war supermarkets,
and in malls that have thrived in the last quarter century
New York's local and regional chambers of commerce have asked The Business
Council to manage the Chamber Alliance of New York State (CANYS).
Denise Murphy McGraw, The Council's director of regional affairs, will
be executive director of CANYS beginning in January. The Council will
coordinate all CANYS conferences, prepare its newsletter and other communications,
develop a web site, handle the group's finances, and serve as CANYS spokesperson
New York's Commercial Division of state Supreme Court has moved New
York "from a court system that often evoked frustration among businesses,
to a business court that is the envy of other states," according to Business
Council Chairman Peter Bijur.
Bijur, who is chairman and CEO of Texaco Inc
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ALBANY— New York State's one-of-a-kind $2.7 billion in annual
surcharges to subsidize hospital costs drive up the cost of health
care for all New Yorkers and undermine the state's economic competitiveness,
a new report argues
By R. Carlos Carballada
Imagine an inexperienced athlete who trains for the Boston marathon
by ambling around the block once a day. Ideally, some coach would insist
on a more rigorous regimen to prepare for such a demanding competition.
Now suppose this athlete's coach said: Yes, you should train harder
Two members of The Business Council's Environment Committee have received
its "Building A Better New York" award.
The 1999 recipients of this award are Hal Pierce, an environmental safety
consultant, and Thomas Maher, vice president of Dvirka & Bartilucci,
consulting engineers
New poll data show that New York's teachers strongly support the movement
to raise student achievement, according to New York Teacher, a publication
of the state's largest teachers' union.
"In fact, New York state teachers lead the nation in support for higher
standards, and say standards-based reforms are producing beneficial change
at their schools," the newspaper's Nov
The new "Jobs 2000" program that won final approval this week "will
make New York's recovery bigger, stronger, and faster as the state
enters the new millennium," Business Council President Daniel B.
Walsh said.
Governor Pataki signed the bill into law Nov. 10 at Hudson Valley
Community College in Troy
Local governments and school districts across New York State are
enjoying huge savings on employee pension costs, thanks to the returns
on the state pension fund's stock and other investments, Comptroller
H. Carl McCall reported.
State taxpayers have saved $583 million, and local taxpayers $609
million, on cumulative pension contributions by government employers
over the past three years, the Comptroller said