To Read More About Governor Pataki’s Tax-Cutting Polices please choose: Leading the Nation in Cutting Taxes To Read About How Governor Pataki Has Restored Fiscal Responsibility to New York State, please choose: Restoring Fiscal Responsibility

Rebuilding & Renewing The Upstate Economy

Governor Pataki has worked hard to make dramatic improvements in the Upstate economy and create new jobs.

By cutting taxes, eliminating unnecessary regulations, creating innovative initiatives such as Empire Zones and Centers of Excellence, and enacting prudent fiscal policies, Governor Pataki has fought for every upstate job and every upstate family.

At the same time, Governor Pataki has helped cut local property taxes while providing healthcare coverage to hundreds of thousands of previously uninsured children, and increasing state aid to public schools, environmental protection programs, and child care to record high levels.

Thanks to Governor Pataki’s policies, Upstate New York is fighting back:

• Governor Pataki’s leadership has made it possible for approximately 150,000 new private sector jobs to be created in Upstate New York since 1995 – more than making up for the 100,500 jobs previously lost in the region during the last recession of the early 1990’s.
  
  
• Thanks to Governor Pataki’s leadership, in June 2002, nine of ten Upstate metropolitan areas had unemployment well below the national average.
  
  
• New York ranks 3rd among the 50 states in places where companies are deciding to locate or expand, according to Site Selection Magazine, which tracks new and expanded businesses in each state.
  
  
• Site Selection also hailed Rochester, New York as one of America's top 60 "cybercities.”
  
  
• Several Upstate communities were included in a recent survey of “America’s Top 100 Small Towns for Corporate Facilities,” including: Plattsburgh, which placed 4th, Johnstown, which ranked 32nd and Cortland and Kingston, which tied at 41st.
  
  
• Governor Pataki’s personal involvement, commitment and vision brings International SEMATECH North to Albany. SEMATECH chose Albany as the site of its second North American research facility, which is expected to bring thousands of high-paying jobs to Upstate New York, after considering sites worldwide.
  
  
• Governor Pataki's leadership and commitment to a 21st Century economy led to New York State's $250 million commitment to create Centers of Excellence in Albany, Buffalo, Long Island, Greater Rochester & Syracuse. Combined with federal and private funds, these investments in high-tech and bio-tech initiatives total approximately $1 billion. The Centers of Excellence partner New York's outstanding research universities with the private sector to develop, produce and market breakthrough technologies and new products to keep New York's companies ahead of their competition while creating new, high-paying jobs and transforming the economy.

In his 2002 State of the State Address, Governor Pataki proposed new initiatives to help rebuild and renew the Upstate New York economy including:

• Creating a new “Empire Opportunity Fund” for economic development initiatives to create jobs through technology and biotechnology research, small business incubators and downtown commercial redevelopment projects.
  
  
• Expanded commitment to high-tech job creation.
  
  
  • Governor Pataki created the “Centers of Excellence”—securing $400 million in new private sector and federal investments—for high-tech and biotech research funding that lead to new high-paying jobs.
    
    
  • Governor Pataki has pledged $5 million for the “Security Through Advanced Research and Technology” program to help New York’s world-class research universities secure federal and other high-technology research funding from the growing homeland security industry.
  
  
• Expanded assistance for small businesses.
  
  
  
  • Governor Pataki has increased low-cost small business loans by $150 million through the “Excelsior Linked Deposit Program” to help New York’s small businesses to grow and create new jobs.
    
    
  • And Governor George Pataki has made New York the Nation’s Leader in Cutting Taxes to encourage job growth and strengthen our economy. Specifically, Governor Pataki has:
  
  
• Cut taxes seven years in a row on everything from personal income to energy taxes.
  
  
• Enhanced and Expanded the “Empire Zone Initiative” to encourage business investment, expansion and job creation by effectively eliminating property and business taxes for businesses within one of the 62 Empire Zones.
  
  
• Created the “Centers of Excellence”—securing $400 million in new private sector and federal investments—for high-tech and biotech research funding that lead to new high-paying jobs.
  
  
• Created the $100 million “Strategically Targeted Academic Research Centers” for constructing research and development at six STAR centers and five Advanced Research Centers.
  
  
• Created the “Power for Jobs” program—reducing electricity costs for New York businesses, agribusiness and farms by up to 25% in return for jobs—that has helped to create or retain approximately 300,000 jobs since 1997.
  
  
• Created the “Build Now” program to provide construction-friendly sites to businesses looking to expand or relocate to New York.