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Albany, NY– Today, Unshackle Upstate and the Associated Builders and Contractors Empire State Chapter called on legislators to reject the latest prevailing wage proposal to expand New York’s prevailing wage onto private projects. In testimony provided to legislators during a joint legislative hearing on economic development, Unshackle Upstate and ABC highlighted their objections to efforts […]

“While we await more details on Governor Cuomo’s budget proposals, what we have heard and seen is a mixed bag of modest tax relief alongside several anti-growth measures. According to a new poll from the Siena Research Institute, voters believe that tackling the state’s sky-high taxes should be at the top of the governor’s priority […]

“The facts don’t lie. New York has lost more than 1 million residents – many from Upstate communities – over the last decade. Additionally, New York has the nation’s highest overall tax burden. While Albany has made considerable investments in Upstate New York, more must be done to keep overburdened families and employers from fleeing […]

BUFFALO, NY – Unshackle Upstate, a pro-taxpayer education and advocacy organization, released its 2020 Advocacy Agenda. The comprehensive document covers major policy areas including taxes, spending, health care, economic development, infrastructure, affordability and improving the state’s business climate. The organization’s key priorities for the 2020 legislative session include: The rejection of an expanded prevailing wage mandate; […]

View the following Politico story for additional context: https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2019/12/20/wfp-asks-candidates-to-stop-defending-taxpayers-9420487 “News that the Working Families Party is asking candidates to stop defending taxpayers is outrageous and shameful – even by Albany standards. Actual working families in every region of this state are struggling due in large part to high taxes. Last year, the Legislature took action to assist […]

BUFFALO, NY – Today, Unshackle Upstate released a letter to Governor Cuomo and the New York State Legislature in opposition to the proposed Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI). The TCI is a regional collaboration of 12 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia considering participation in a “cap and invest” program. The goal of the initiative […]

“The results of this Minimum Wage report run counter to the concerns we hear from business owners throughout Upstate New York. In our recent Business Climate Survey, Upstate employers listed minimum wage increases among their top concerns in the upcoming year. These hardworking New Yorkers know firsthand that burdensome employer mandates hurt their ability to […]

“Overburdened taxpayers across New York should be outraged by the recommendations in this report. Spending one cent of public money on robocalls, lawn signs and campaign mailers is one penny too many. New York has far too many other needs – aging infrastructure, lack of rural broadband and underfunded workforce development programs – to be […]

BUFFALO, NY – Taxes, mandates and state spending are just a few of the issues that Upstate employers say impact their ability to operate and succeed according to a new survey released by Unshackle Upstate. The findings, collected from 100 businesses across Upstate New York, highlight employers’ perspectives on the impact of the 2019 legislation session as […]