Press Releases

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’ […]

Statement from Zach Sampson, spokesperson for Upstate United “We thank Senator Anna Kaplan and Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins for leading the charge on S.6791A. This sensible unemployment insurance reform will help employers across New York save money at a time when they’re seeing rising costs across the board. We urge the members of the Assembly […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “As employers are struggling to keep their doors open and families are fleeing New York in search of affordability and opportunity, this year’s state budget must take steps to strengthen our economy and stop the Empire State exodus. Governor Hochul’s proposed budget […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “We commend Governor Hochul for recognizing and addressing New York’s extraordinary economic challenges during her State of the State address. It’s no secret that working families, small business owners, family farms and taxpayers across the state are struggling right now. We’re also […]

Pro-taxpayer organization calls for action on key issues that will impact Upstate employers, taxpayers and New York’s economy. Upstate United, a pro-taxpayer education and advocacy organization, released its 2022 Advocacy Agenda on Monday. The concise and comprehensive document, which is available on Upstate United’s website, focuses on seven key policy areas of importance to Upstate […]

Upstate United, a non-partisan pro-taxpayer organization, is drawing attention to new data from the United States Census Bureau that shows a large drop in New York’s population over the last year. The data, published today, found that New York’s population declined between 319,020 between July 1, 2020 and July 1, 2021. That decline led the […]

 Statement Attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “The Tax Foundation’s new 2022 State Business Tax Climate Index is a sad reminder that New York’s tax burden has been too high for too long. For the third year in a row, New York’s business tax climate ranked 49th in the nation. That’s not […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United. New federal data on New York’s UI loan balance can be found here: https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/ssa-title-xii-advance-activities/advances-to-state-unemployment-funds-social-security-act-title-xii “Earlier this week, the U.S. Treasury Department revealed that New York still owes the federal government $9 billion from unemployment insurance loans. We need our leaders in Albany […]