Paul M. Nasipak has been named 1999 Small Business Advocate of the Year
by The Business Council and the National
Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
The award was presented March 30 at Small Business Day, which is organized
in Albany each spring by The Business Council and co-sponsored by NFIB
The Business Council Insurance Fund enjoyed
one of its best years ever in 1998, even though many members are not
taking full advantage of the Fund's competitively priced insurance offerings.
"More than half of Council members buy their employees' life
insurance from The Business Council Insurance Fund," said Bob Crandall,
The Council's director of member services
The Business Council has scheduled its annual Manufacturing Week for
May 7-14. This year, the event will focus on one of the top priorities
of the manufacturing community, tort reform, said Brian McMahon, director
of economic development for The Council and its specialist in manufacturing
Business Council members have
been asked to complete a survey on the effect of federal estate taxes
on business employment levels in New York State.The Business Council
is conducting the research with the Center for the Study of Taxation,
a national not-for-profit research organization
The new president of the state AFL-CIO has promised to begin a new statewide
organizing efforts and to intensify the union's advocacy efforts in Albany.
Dennis M. Hughes was elected president of the 2.5 million-member union
March 23. He succeeds Edward J. Cleary, who is retiring.
Hughes said that the AFL-CIO will "harness and direct the full political
and legislative potential of our 31 central labor councils, 71 state
organizations, 3,500 local unions and more than two million members into
a force that no legislator or candidate for office will be able to ignore
Assembly Minority Leader John Faso Wednesday released his conference's
plan to stimulate job creation by cutting taxes and enhancing economic
development.
Tax elements include accelerating scheduled reductions in business tax
rates and in the gross receipts tax on utilities; enacting Governor Pataki's
energy-tax reforms; reducing bank and insurance tax rates along with
corporate taxes; reducing the alternative minimum tax; converting the
ton-mileage tax to a flat fee; and eliminating the petroleum business
tax on commercial heating oil
Governor Pataki assured New York's small business leaders that New York
will eschew a "spending binge . . . that undoes our progress of the last
four years."
The Governor praised The Business Council for being instrumental "every
step of the way" in the effort to improve New York's business climate
through new state policies--and strongly urged The Council to stand firm
in opposing excessive state spending that could undo much of the recent
progress
The Legislature has adjourned for two weeks without agreement with Governor
Pataki on a budget for the 1999-2000 fiscal year.
This is the 15th year in a row in which lawmakers have failed to agree
on a budget by April 1, the beginning of the fiscal year. Lawmakers are
not expected back in session until April 12
The state Senate's budget resolution includes $1.1 billion in new tax
cuts and a $2.7 billion reserve to guarantee the STAR property-tax relief
program and other already enacted tax cuts.
Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno called the resolution "a prudent
plan [that] reflects a moderate balance of tax cuts, along with targeted
increases in funding and creation of a significant reserve to finance
tax cuts in future years
The Assembly Majority Wednesday unveiled "Main Street," a five-year
strategy for business development and job creation. The program would
cut taxes by $75 million, including $28 million for small businesses
and high-tech firms in 1999-2000.
The program would target state investment at small businesses, emerging
high-tech firms, and university-industry collaborations in R&D and
workforce development