Press Releases

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United “The lifting of pandemic restrictions is great news for all New Yorkers. Having weathered this historic health crisis, focusing on the ongoing economic crisis must be Albany’s top priority. 1.3 million New Yorkers are still unemployed, and more than one-third of small […]

Upstate United, a non-partisan pro-taxpayer organization, has released a new fact sheet highlighting New York’s outmigration and sluggish growth. Troubling Trends – New York’s Population Problems follows the release of select data from the 2020 Census by the U.S. Census Bureau. While the state’s population grew by 4.2 percent over the last decade, New York […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United  “The passage of this so-called Hero Act is a knockout punch for Upstate’s small business community. This costly mandate will ultimately lead to frivolous lawsuits, business closures and job losses at the worst possible time. While the goal of the bill is […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Upstate United. “While this year’s state budget includes some positive measures, such as support for struggling small businesses, tax relief for middle-class residents and significant funding for local roads and bridges, the inclusion of massive tax hikes and costly mandates poses a serious risk,” […]

Upstate United releases a new fact sheet highlighting New York’s abysmal tax rankings.Upstate United, a non-partisan pro-taxpayer organization, has released a new fact sheet highlighting New York State’s massive tax burden. Taxed Out – Taking A Closer Look At New York State’s Tax Burden shows how New York compares to other states in various tax […]

The following statement is attributable to Zach Sampson, spokesperson for Upstate United It’s taken far too long, but it’s encouraging to finally see a bipartisan group of Upstate legislators join together and stand up for their constituents. We encourage all of our Upstate legislators to join the caucus and we formally request the leadership of […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Unshackle Upstate. “New York due to receive billions in federal aid, there’s no reason to withhold tax relief for middle-class families in this year’s state budget. Unshackle Upstate strongly believes that broad-based tax relief is essential to New York’s economic recovery. Delivering relief to […]

Pro-taxpayer organization advocates for pro-growth measures to rebuild the state’s economy. Unshackle Upstate, a pro-taxpayer education and advocacy organization, released its 2021 Advocacy Agenda. Citing widespread business closures, job losses and the state’s economic crisis, the organization seeks to promote pro-growth measures that accelerate New York’s recovery. The organization’s key priorities for the 2021 legislative […]

The following statement is attributable to Justin Wilcox, executive director of Unshackle Upstate “Governor Cuomo’s employer-centric recovery proposals reflect the importance of helping small businesses recover and rehire workers. While these proposals are a solid first step, we need to go much further. Advancing broad-based tax relief, regulatory reforms and COVID-related protections will give struggling […]

“While we’re encouraged by Governor Cuomo’s commitment to keeping the economy open, addressing Upstate infrastructure needs and investing in workforce development initiatives, we’re disappointed by the absence of reforms that would dramatically improve New York’s harsh business climate. Broad-based tax relief, COVID-related protections for employers, and changes to New York’s costly construction mandates would help […]