The Empire Page

The Topic:  Mired in budget negotiations it seems that the NYS Legislature has only managed to pass a limited number of program bills -- bills that deal with substantive issues.  Is that just our opinion or is it fact?  We thought we'd ask several expert Legislative observers to comment on what the Legislature has NOT addressed in 2010.  We're publishing the responses as they come in without regard to partisan or interest group bias.  You can add your views in the comment section below or send your list to editor@empirepage.com for inclusion in the body of the Roundtable.

Bruce Fisher, Director of the Center for Economic and Policy Studies, Buffalo State University: New York State , and only the state, has the power to stop the destructive cycle of sprawl in the upstate metros. The state can declare a state interest in intervening to prevent further low-density development in second-ring suburbs that is made possible by the actions of town zoning boards, and by the inaction - or non existence - of metropolitan planning organizations. Our analysis (soon to be published) shows a trajectory of further population decline in all upstate counties except Saratoga, and a pattern of over-construction of housing farther and fatter distant from existing infrastructure. The result has been ever-greater fiscal dependency on Albany. The state alone can address this problem.

Mike Elmendorf, NYS Director, National Federation of Independent Business: Well, as often has been the case for New York’s small business community, the Legislature NOT acting is not always a bad thing, since there are so many proposals on the table that would increase costs and make a bad economy even worse for small employers.  So, we’re glad that the legislature has not acted on job-killers like mandating paid family leave and paid sick leave, increasing and indexing unemployment insurance benefits (and increasing unemployment insurance taxes on employers…which will lead to even higher unemployment), and gut-punching New York’s already struggling family farms with the farm labor bill.

On the affirmative side, we’re frustrated by the lack of action on common sense proposals like a property tax cap and spending cap and the failure to take concrete steps to collect taxes from the sale of cigarettes and gasoline to non-Native Americans by Native Americans.  There’s also been no real focused effort to reduce the cost of doing business and create jobs in New York; instead, there’s been a constant drumbeat around bills that will have the opposite effect, like a seemingly endless stream of prevailing wage mandate expansions, new health insurance mandates that will make health insurance even more unaffordable for small business, and crazy bills like the so-called “workplace bullying” bill that will expose virtually every employer in the state to ridiculous, frivolous lawsuits and effectively end at-will employment in New York.

So, while there are certainly some things we’d like to see done, there’s plenty small business is relieved has not been done…yet, at least.  We’re ready to go to the mat on these issues in these waning days of the session—and the business community is standing shoulder to shoulder on them.

Karen DeWitt, Capitol Bureau Chief, NYS Public Radio/WXXI:  That could be along list!  The first two that immediately come to mind- ethics reform, and Power for Jobs

Frederic J. Buse, Schwartz Heslin Group:  Here's three:

• Downsizing state work force

• Increase Unemployment Insurance benefits

• Reform of Workmen's Compensation self insurance

• Wicks Law reform
• Safe-Place-to-Work Law reform

Stuart H. Brody took the challenge posted by this roundtable and has put together a strong argument against the dysfunctional cliche.  It is posted on his blog page.  Brody is former Chair of the New York State Democratic Rural Conference, teaches Business and Political Ethics at SUNY New Paltz and is a regular contributor to the Empire Page.

Tom Shanahan:  I suggest that my op-ed, calling for final passage of the Water Withdrawal bill, be added to the "Not Accomplished" section. The URL is: http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=949773&category=OPINION