Assembly Minority Leader Charles H. Nesbitt, with the support of Assemblyman David G. McDonough (R,C,I-Merrick), unveiled a sweeping new plan designed to create jobs, reinvigorate the state’s struggling economy and boost the quality of life for all New Yorkers.

"The challenges that New York faces require creative solutions as well as public confidence in our ability to get the job done," said Assemblyman David G. McDonough. "Our conference insists on a more open government, the free sharing of ideas from citizens and all elected officials, and the need for stronger legislative accountability to help restore the public’s confidence in our ability to achieve goals for a stronger New York."

According to McDonough the "Roadmap to Renewal" is the Assembly Minority’s outline of 2004 legislative priorities, and builds on the success of last year’s "NY First" legislative agenda.

The "Roadmap to Renewal" contains four essential objectives designed to help improve the quality of life for all New Yorkers, and focuses on the critical needs and issues most important to New Yorkers.

Providing opportunities for work and prosperity- includes incentives and innovative programs to help stimulate New York state’s economy and encourage job growth with a commitment to lower taxes by protecting and preserving the STAR property tax relief program and resisting any effort to extend income and sales tax increases enacted last year beyond their statutory sunset dates. The plan also supports innovative new tax incentives to encourage manufacturing, bolster job-creating small businesses in downtown "Main Streets" throughout the state, and make it tougher for future legislatures to raise "job-killing" taxes.

Less intrusive, more efficient government- aims to streamline government operations, reduce costs that lead to increased taxes, and reward new initiatives aimed at lowering the cost of government regulation. The plan includes comprehensive mandate relief and other measures, including emergency assistance and a gradual state takeover of the entire share of local Medicaid costs, which will help local government hold the line on soaring local property taxes.

Safer Communities- includes proposals to build on New York’s historic strides against violence by promoting even safer communities and strengthening safeguards against future attacks. The plan includes a sweeping "zero tolerance" plan to thwart sexual attacks against women and children. The "zero tolerance" recommendations stem from the work of a special Assembly Minority task force, of which Assemblyman McDonough was a member, created in 2003 to study the growing problem. Additionally the plan confronts the nagging problem of inner-city crime and renews our demands for tougher anti-terrorism laws to protect the state and its citizens from attack.

Ensuring a quality education for our children- recognizes the critical role of quality education in helping prepare New Yorkers for future challenges by strengthing communities and providing for the critical needs of New Yorkers. The plan reinforces the Assembly Minority’s commitment to quality, locally based education, and urges reforms designed to ensure the best use of scarce education dollars.