Press Releases

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United  “The proposals outlined in Governor Hochul’s State of the State don’t meet the magnitude of New York’s population decline. New York’s sky-high tax burden and harsh business climate have played a role in driving out roughly 300,000 residents to other states over […]

New York State Dept. of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon discussed Unemployment Insurance fraud on Capital Tonight, reiterating that approximately $4 billion was lost to fraud, not $11 billion as indicated in Comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s audit. The Commissioner also discussed the impact on businesses. National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and Upstate United released the following statement […]

ROCHESTER, NY – Upstate United, a pro-taxpayer education and advocacy organization, released its 2023 Advocacy Agenda today. Highlighting New York State’s population problems and lagging economic recovery, Upstate United is calling on Governor Hochul and legislators to focus on pro-growth policies. “Our economy is struggling to recover from the pandemic and New Yorkers are fleeing […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “New data published by the U.S. Census Bureau found that New York State experienced a population decline of 180,341 from July 1, 2021 through July 1, 2022. This loss was the largest in the nation during that time. Over the last two […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “Legislative pay raises should only be discussed once the Legislature has taken the necessary steps to revive our economy and our communities. As of today, that has not happened. More than 300,000 people and 261,000 jobs have yet to return to New […]

Citing a recent audit from Comptroller DiNapoli, Upstate United requests members of the Senate and Assembly to hold hearings. ROCHESTER, NY – Upstate United, a non-partisan pro-taxpayer organization, released a letter to Senator James Skoufis and Assemblyman John McDonald today urging them to hold hearings involving the New York State Department of Labor’s mismanagement of […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United  “The damning report released today by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli must be a wake-up call for Governor Hochul and legislators. The New York State Department of Labor’s numerous failures show a total disregard for New Yorkers who needed help during the pandemic as […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “Upstate United congratulates Governor Kathy Hochul on her historic victory. Now, more than ever, we need leaders in Albany to step up and do everything in their power to get Upstate communities and our economy growing once again. Moving forward, Governor Hochul […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United. “For overburdened employers across New York, the Tax Foundation’s new 2023 State Business Tax Climate Index is anything but surprising. New York’s business tax climate — the second worse in the nation for the fifth year in a row — makes it […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “IBM, which has a long-standing history of innovation and job creation in Upstate New York, is strengthening its New York roots with this $20 billion investment over the coming decade. IBM’s high-tech projects will spark job growth and economic activity in the […]