I am fed up with the stifling of businesses in New York. High taxes and regulations limit businesses from hiring more local workers. Adding insult to injury is a very high minimum wage, which limits this number even more. Our businesses are the job creators of our local communities and need to be able to survive.

Companies such as Remington Arms and NY Air Brake are fleeing the state; they just don’t want to compete in our toxic economic climate. New York’s ‘Harass and Tax’ and ‘Tax and Spend’ practices stop them from flourishing. In fact it cuts them down at the root and prevents many more from even attempting the risks of business ownership.

The few programs that do allegedly support business growth, such as START-UP NY, only do so if you manage to fit into the small categories that can be used for political grandstanding. Not to mention these programs typically are plagued by corruption. This type of policy ignores the complaints of existing businesses and business owners who either need help or need to be left alone so the market can dictate how successful they become. Instead, politicians in Albany rig the system so only a select few of them are chosen to show how ‘supportive’ of small businesses they are.

The solutions to some of these problems are simple, lower our taxes and regulations. According to the Assembly Minority Review Committee, New York ranks as 49th in the country for overall tax climate which is a travesty. Let our employees work and let our owners administer. Our immense tax burden on businesses, while filling up Albany’s coffers, discourages investment and risk-taking since so much of your hard work and effort just goes to Albany instead of working for you, the way it should.

Secondly, the elimination of favoritism programs like START-UP NY will even the playing field for all businesses. Not just those that are deemed to be a ‘hot selling item’ or something to be used as a political tool. Every business deserves the chance to thrive and compete in New York, not just the ones determined to be ‘special’.

Our economic climate must improve if we are to thrive as a community and a state, and Albany needs to butt out of our businesses and let them run themselves. In fact my colleagues in the Assembly and myself are the only conference to publically submit numerous comprehensive plans that actually help our struggling businesses. A5423 The current policies are unsustainable for everyone; we have to stop repeating them. It’s your business and your rules, your effort and your sweat, you deserve the chance to win, and Albany shouldn’t take that from you.