Press Releases

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United  “The report advanced today by the Farm Laborers Wage Board is a death sentence for many family farms across the state. Wage Board members Brenda McDuffie and Dennis Hughes ignored the pleas of hardworking farmworkers and farmers – the majority of whom […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “Micron’s decision to build its new $15 billion chip plant in Idaho shows that New York can’t compete with other states for major, transformative projects. The state’s new Green CHIPS program simply can’t overcome its massive tax burden and harsh business climate. […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United  “The findings of Comptroller DiNapoli’s updated Unemployment Insurance report are extremely alarming. New York’s unemployment insurance crisis will continue to hurt employers and consumers at the worst possible time. Millions of families who are already being squeezed by historic inflation rates will […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United  “We strongly encourage the members of the state’s Climate Action Council to read today’s new NYISO report. This in-depth document shows that power in Upstate New York is predominantly produced by zero-emission sources. Upstate energy consumers should not be forced to bear […]

Business groups identify several legislative proposals that would drive up costs amidst record inflation if enacted. Upstate United and NFIB NY have released a joint list of legislative measures dubbed The Excessive Seven that would increase costs for consumers and employers if enacted this year. The organizations called on legislators to reject these proposals and […]

Upstate United, a non-partisan pro-taxpayer organization, has released an updated fact sheet highlighting New York’s $9.3 billion unemployment insurance debt. Troubling Trends – New York’s Unemployment Insurance Crisis Keeps Growing  demonstrates the significant impacts this massive debt on employers and consumers. “Despite repeated calls for unemployment insurance relief from New York’s business community, our leaders […]

The following statements are attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United Main Budget Statement: “Governor Hochul and legislative leaders have passed a massive budget that spends too much and does too little to help overburdened taxpayers and employers. At $220 billion – just over $11,000 per New Yorker – this budget fails to […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “We’re calling on the leadership of New York’s Climate Action Council to add additional Upstate hearings to the slate of public hearings on the state’s draft scoping plan. The fact that there are no meetings currently on the schedule for the Fingers […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “These proposed legislative maps reflect the decline of Upstate communities which has been driven by Albany’s bad decisions. While the downstate region has shown the ability to weather the state’s high taxes and harsh business climate, that has not been the case […]

Statement from Justin Wilcox, executive director for Upstate United “By a 2-1 decision, the Farm Labor Wage Board has advanced a plan to annihilate thousands of family farms. This is another glaring example of a bad idea that started in Downstate and will hurt hardworking Upstate New Yorkers and the surrounding communities. This so-called ‘compromise’ […]