Assemblyman Ken Blankenbush (R,C,I-Black River) is calling for an end to the governor’s failed START-UP NY program, which is using millions of dollars in taxpayer money for an advertising program many have criticized as a marketing program for the governor. An audit from State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli shows the program is less than effective.

“The comptroller’s audit of the governor’s START-UP NY is proving that our suspicions about the program are true, that millions in taxpayer dollars are being wasted with little positive impact on job growth or increased development,” said Blankenbush. “The program has been merely an excuse to use the hard-earned money of New Yorkers to promote the governor’s political motives and aspirations. We need to pull the plug on this to prevent any further abuse of public money.”

The public was told the program would not cost them any money because START-UP NY is just a set of tax breaks. However, millions of dollars were spent on in-state and out-of-state marketing programs, many of which have been criticized as being mere ad campaigns to boost the governor’s image. So far, $53 million has been spent on the program and only 76 jobs have been created. Only $1.7 million in private capital was invested in the state as a result of the program.

Furthermore, there has been much criticism of the program regarding its transparency and reporting. The audit highlighted the Empire State Development’s lack of a results-driven evaluation of programs like START-UP NY. Due to the weak measurements and results, the comptroller’s office called into question whether the spending was justified.

“I’m going back to what I’ve said from the beginning: if we want real economic development, we have to make this a more business-friendly state by providing tax and regulatory relief to our small-business owners. That’s how we’ll see real job growth,” concluded Blankenbush.