Unshackle Upstate Statement in Response to Governor Cuomo's 2011-2012 Proposed Executive Budget

ROCHESTER, NY (02/01/2011)(readMedia)-- Statement attributable to Brian Sampson, Unshackle Upstate executive director

"For too long, New York's hard working families and business owners have shouldered the burden of budgets that are packed with taxes and unchecked spending. Governor Cuomo's Executive Budget represents a return to fiscal discipline that is long overdue. It puts New York on the right track now and will serve us well moving forward.

Unshackle Upstate has led the fight for lower taxes, fees and assessments; reduced spending and mandate relief for New York's taxpayers and job creators. The governor's Executive Budget addresses these issues head on through necessary and meaningful actions such as reducing overall spending by $3.7 billion; rightsizing state and local government and promoting private sector job growth. Additionally, Unshackle Upstate looks forward to working with Lieutenant Governor Duffy as he leads the regional economic development councils.

We encourage all elected officials working in the halls of the Capitol to work together to deliver a fiscally responsible budget that will ease taxpayer burden while improving New York's job creation climate."

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Statement attributable to Andrew Rudnick, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership and a co-founder of Unshackle Upstate

"This budget is being called 'tough,' but in the face of a $10 billion deficit, I call it the first realistic budget proposed by a governor in years," said Andrew J. Rudnick, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. "New York families have been making sacrifices all along, living in the nation's highest taxed state, dealing with the unemployment an unfriendly business climate causes or leaving their hometown all together to find work elsewhere. It's good to see Governor Cuomo recognize this and attempt to mend it by forcing government to make tough choices, just as families and business owners upstate have for decades."

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Statement attributable to Garry Douglas, president of the North Country Chamber of Commerce

"The Governor's budget finally breaks the mold of endless spending and taxing and delivers on the promise of change. It is a sobering but hopeful roadmap that can move New York off the pathway of permanent decline and position us once again for enterprise and economic growth. We now need to see the Legislature embrace this approach strongly and on time."