Archives

The following statement can be attributed to Upstate United Executive Director Justin Wilcox.   “We appreciate both the Senate and Assembly’s commitment to providing unemployment insurance relief to business owners across New York State – 98% of which are small and many family-owned. Relieving employers of the burden of UI debt, along with the assessments that go along […]

The following statement is attributable to Upstate United Executive Director Justin Wilcox: “Upstate ratepayers should not be forced to subsidize downstate as a result of downstate’s over-reliance on fossil fuels. The rushed decisions being made to meet the state’s unrealistic climate goals will make New York State even more unaffordable, send New Yorkers packing, and put […]

The following statement is attributable to Upstate United Executive Director Justin Wilcox: “While the Executive Budget includes necessary investments to expand broadband access and improve the state’s infrastructure, the Governor’s proposal falls short in addressing New York’s population exodus, mounting UI debt, and the viability of our small and family-owned businesses. In fact, the UI […]

As reported by Spectrum’s Susan Arbetter, a letter was sent to the New York State Department of Labor on Friday, January 13 asking for all information relating to fraud in the state’s unemployment insurance (UI). Small businesses have been shouldering the burden of New York’s massive UI debt for too long, and without any state […]

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 […]