News

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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 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

By DAVID F. SHAFFER New York State, which is ahead of the curve in the nation's push for education reform, is going to face a very tough test next year when reality sets in and we see what an abstract concept like "higher standards" means in practice. As new test results that were released this week have now revealed, the reality is likely to be a shock: Our new standards could well mean that thousands — probably tens of thousands — of next year's high-school seniors in New York State won't get the on-time high-school diplomas they have been expecting

A "smart growth" bill introduced in the Legislature presents both concerns and opportunities for business growth, The Council has told the bill's sponsors. The bill, which is sponsored by Senator Mary Lou Rath (R-Williamsville) and Assemblyman Sam Hoyt (D-Buffalo), would authorize the Governor to implement statewide "smart growth" policies designed to: Mitigate the growth of suburban sprawl

A new report form the state Department of Taxation and Finance shows that 99 percent of all businesses in the state employ fewer than 100 persons and thus are classified as small businesses. The Small Business Report, based on 1995 tax filings by businesses and corporations, showed that New York State's 1,050,000 small businesses account for 50 percent of the state's total employment and nearly half of all business receipts

Just two weeks after The Business Council launched a new site on the World-Wide Web for "electronic advocacy" to urge tax cuts, some 4800 letters to key lawmakers and legislative staff have already been generated. Business Council members and others committed to further tax reductions are urged to visit the site to join The Council's campaign for more business tax reductions