bcw legislativeagendafinal

8/2/2019 BCW LegislativeAgendaFinal

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T B C C l f W T C T r 2 0 1 2 l g l a T v a g a 1

Stephen J. Jones, Esq.

Chairman of the Board

Dr. Marsha Gordon

President/CEO

Cynthia Rubino

Vice Chair, Governmental Action

John Ravitz

Executive Vice President/COO

2012

LegislativeAgenda

LegislativeAgenda (original).indd 1 2/21/12 4


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White ouse

Barack Obama, President

Joseph R. Biden, Jr., Vice President

nited ttes ente

Charles E. SchumerKristen Gillibrand

nited ttes ouse o repesentties

17th C.D. Eliot L. Engel

18th C.D. Nita M. Lowey

19th C.D. Nan Hayworth, M.D.

ew Yok tte ttewide Pubic cis

Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor

Robert Duffy, Lt Governor

Thomas DiNapoli, Comptroller

Eric T. Schneiderman,Attorney General

tte ente34th S.D. Jeff Klein

35th S.D. Andrea Stewart Cousins

36th S.D. Ruth Hassell-Thompson

37th S.D. Suzi Oppenheimer

40th S.D. Greg Ball

tte assemby

87th A.D. J. Gary Pretlow

88th A.D. Amy Paulin

89th A.D. Robert Castelli

90th A.D. Sandra R. Galef

91st A.D. George Latimer

92nd A.D. Thomas J. Abinanti

93rd A.D. (Open seat as of printing)

99th A.D. Steven Katz

Westcheste County Pubic cis

Rob Astorino, County Executive

Timothy Idoni, County Clerk

Janet DiFiore, District Attorney

Bod o leistos

1st District John G. Testa

2nd District Peter Harckham

3rd District Michael J. Smith

4th District Michael B. Kaplowitz

5th District William J. Ryan

6th District David B. Gelfarb

7th District Judith A. Myers

8th District Alfreda A. Williams

9th District Catherine Borgia

10th District Sheila Marcotte

11th District James Malsano

12th District Mary Jane Shimsky

13th District Lyndon Williams

14th District Bernice Spreckman

15th District Gordon A Burrows

16th District Kenneth W. Jenkins

17th District Virginia Perez

Myos

Ernie Davis, Mt. Vernon

Noam Bramson, New Rochelle

Mary Foster, Peekskill

Doug French, Rye

Thomas Roche, White Plains

Mike Spano, Yonkers



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1 T B C C l f W T C T r 2 0 1 2 l g l a T v a g a

eiew

The Business Council of Westchester is the

countys business membership and advocacy

organization. The purpose of The Business

Council of Westchester is to help businessesmarket, learn, advocate and grow. Members set

goals and customize their participation to create

a powerful business-building strategy.

We represent over 1,000 members, ranging in

size from multinational corporations and mid-size

businesses to professional rms, not-for-prot

organizations and small business owners in every

sector of the countys diverse economy. Our

members represent over 200,000 employees

in Westchester County and beyond. Moreover,

our member businesses drive the countys economy and provide the jobs and

resources that enhance our standard of living.

The Business Council of Westchester has grown to be the largest and most

inuential business organization in the county because of the open, inclusive and

collaborative culture fostered through the involvement of its members and the

leadership of a diverse and dedicated Board of Directors. Many of our members,

including our Board of Directors, conduct business on a regional, state-wide,

national and international level. The alliances we have forged across borders have

served to create opportunities for business growth in Westchester. We take great

pride that our members fuel Westchesters economy by looking to each other,

regardless of location, as sources for employees, products and services, and new

businesses.

The Business Council of Westchester is a private, not-for-prot corporation funded

by annual investments made by its members.

organiza

tion

pr

ofle

Mission

The Business Council of

Westchester works to

enhance protability,

wealth and economic

opportunity for all in

Westchester County.



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To ccompish this mission, the

goenment action Counci wi:

Educate and inform the business communi-

ty about relevant federal, state, county and

local public policy issues.

Review federal, state and county legislation

and regulations to assess potential impacts

on the business community.

Inuence public policy outcomes through

advocacy when the business communitys

interests may be affected.

Act as a information resource and clear-

inghouse for the business community and

governmental leaders at all levels.

Leverage public policy issues and legislation

to promote business growth and create a

more competitive business environment.

Look beyond the borders of Westchester to

solve regional issues impacting the business

community.

Why Business Counci o Westcheste

leistie aend?

Because bills passed or not passed in local,

state and national legislatures can have a

powerful impact on the business communitys

ability to serve its stakeholders.

Therefore, appropriate responses to the chal-

lenges of todays socio-economic environ-

ment will be benecial to Westchesters cities,

towns, villages and residents. Business lead-

ers whether they represent large, medium

or small-sized companies owe it to them-

selves, their employees, their shareholders (if

they work for a publicly traded company),

their families, their neighbors and

society at large to offer their opin-

ion and expertise to all discussions

public policy issues and how we are

governed.

In order to address this criti-

cal responsibility, The Business Council of

Westchesters Governmental Action Council

shapes a legislative agenda each year to

which all members are encouraged to offer

their thoughts and energy. It also works dili-

gently with local, state and federal ofcials to

convert legislative goals to reality. Included in

this overall effort are an annual visit to Albany

at the start of each years legislative session,

meetings with lawmakers on the national,

state and county level throughout the year,

and communicating our positions to the me-

dia and other interested parties to ensure that

the voice of the business community is heard.

This has enabled us to positively inuence

legislative and regulatory action.

For example, The Business Council of West-

chesters advocacy efforts in 2011 have been

visible at al levels of government in the past

year as highlighted below:

fral:Supported the continuation of the

tax cuts enacted under the Bush administra-

tion to create a more stable and predictable

environment for businesses to grow. At the

same time the Business Council pointed out

the shortcomings in the newly enacted health

care reform package, namely the legislations

failure to control costs and placing an undue

burden on the business com-

munity at a time when job

creation is paramount.

gov

ernmentactio

ncouncil The mission of the Governmental Action

Council is to provide leadership in

public policy and involve constituents

in our vision for Westchester.



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TaT: Promoted the Five to Survive cam-

paign which included nancial reforms es-

sential for putting New York back on the path

to economic growth and job creation. These

reforms included caps on property taxes andstate spending, reduction of the tax burden,

reform public employee pensions and limiting

government borrowing. These reforms have

been embraced by Governor Cuomo.

CTY: Took a leadership position in pro-

moting economic development through the

formation of the Westchester Coalition for

Business Development and supporting the

countys intellectual capital campaign which

focuses on Westchesters highly educated

workforce to re-energize the countys busi-

nesses climate.

Cuent Chenes nd gos

Governments at all levels are facing unprec-

edented budget shortfalls that will force

difcult choices in how scarce resources are

allocated. Providing essential services and

making long overdue infrastructure invest-

ments must be balanced with prudent scal

management and without relying on additional

borrowing and overburdening the taxpayers.

Underlying the current challenges we face

is a basic economic premise that the private

sector is the source of wealth; it enables gov-

ernment to provide the services our society

needs. The Business Council of Westchester

will seek to leverage the current economic

downturn as an opportunity to make real, fun-

damental reforms in the way our federal, state

and local governments conduct business.

Accordingly, the major goals for The Business

Council of Westchester in 2012 are:

A more competitive and friendly business

environment in New York State and

Westchester County that fosters economic

development.

Long-term reforms in government spending

and scal policy, including mandate relief.

The relicensing of the Indian Point Energy

Center.

Above all, now is the time to act and use

public policy to create the conditions that will

lead to new jobs and an accelerated and last-

ing economic recovery.

We look forward to meaningful discussions

with our representatives in Westchester,

Albany and Washington on each issue and

ensuring that the collective voice of the coun-

tys business community is heard at all levels

of government. At the same time, we wel-

come the participation of all Business Council

members in shaping

and voicing our views,

as well as in forging

collaborations with

government ofcials,

community leaders

and the general public.

Were condent that

an active member re-

sponse to the legisla-

tive challenges facingWestchester and its

business community

will enhance our ability

to generate positive

change for the econo-

my and quality of life

in the county.

The Business

Council of

Westchester

looks forward

to meaningful

discussions withour representatives

in Westchester,

Albany and

Washington.



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countympoed Business Cimte

To spur economic development and job cre-

ation, The Business Council of Westchester

advocates for improvements in the overall

business climate and reductions in the broad

cost of doing business. The impact of taxes,

business fees, burdensome regulatory require-

ments and lengthy approval processes are of

particular concern.

Continuin The eious ot To Cut

goenment pendin

The Business Council of Westchester ap-plauds the fact that the countys approved

2012 Executive Budget did not raise taxes,

continued to cut spending, and aimed to de-

liver essential services in an efcient manner

which helped close a $114 million dollar decit.

It was also important to note that the 2012

budget protected the countys AAA bond

rating, which is critical to attracting and

retaining employers to Westchester County.

Westchester needs to continue to pass

budgets that are built on scal integrity andsound principals.

If Westchester is to avoid being the highest

taxed county in the nation, sound structural

reforms are critical to strengthen the countys

long-term nancial condition. This will require

identifying recurring benets and savings,

concessions from labor unions in future

contract negotiations,

treating reserve funds

judiciously, consensus

revenue projectionsand consolidating/

sharing services

between county, lo-

cal governments and

school districts.

The business community supports a stream-

lined government, with as much privatization

as possible and the use of not-for-prot agen-

cies as a more cost effective alternative for

delivering services.

conomic eeopment

Expanding and promoting economic develop-

ment opportunities are key objectives of The

Business Council of Westchester. Economic

development creates jobs and expands the

tax base for municipalities. This mission re-

quires an aggressive and innovative economic

development policy that positions West-

chester as a premier location in the region

to retain, expand and attract business and

industry.

In a concerted effort to move Westchesters

economy in a positive direction, The Busi-

ness Council of Westchester formed the

Westchester Coalition for Business Develop-

ment. The group consists of a cross-section of

Westchesters business leaders who met over

1,000 hours to research, discuss and deliber-

ate in order to identify the critical challenges

Westchester County faces when attracting

new businesses and retaining existing busi-nesses. The Coalition created sub-committees

charged with drafting the initial framework for

several imaginative, innovative and exciting

recommendations that if implemented, will

help strengthen Westchesters economy. The

Coalition focused on three key ndings:

1 Stopping the Youth Flight: A recent NY1/

YNN Marist Poll highlights the urgency of this

agenda; 36% of New Yorkers under the age of

30 said they plan to leave New York State in

the next ve years. The poll discovered thatNew Yorkers are feeling the nancial squeeze,

especially in suburban communities such as

Westchester. We must work to stop the ight

leg

islativeagenda

Expanding and pro-

moting economic

development op-

portunities are key

objectives of The

Business Council of

Westchester.



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Wokoce eeopment

The Business Council of Westchester is

continuing its leadership role in workforce

development through creative programs with

the Westchester-Putnam Workforce Invest-

ment Boards One-Stop Employment Center

to provide a skilled workforce for high-growth

knowledge-based industries in the region.

The current economic environment makes

this the opportune time to establish sector

partnerships in targeted industries of great

importance to the region.

The Business Council of Westchester will con-

tinue to work with the countys local colleges

to better link their students and graduates to

local corporations who can provide them with

internships and full-time jobs. Hopefully this

will keep many graduates of Westchester col-

leges employed in the county.

Through the Workforce Academy for Youth,

we create opportunities to introduce our

young people to employment, through intern-

ships and mentoring, investing in the next

generation of workers. This program also

includes a summer jobs segment, which is a

private sector employment initiative.

C.W.BrownInc.sheadquarters,thers

tcertiedLEEDPlatinumCommercialInteriorsprojectin

NewYorkState(outsideofNYC),exempliesWestcheste

rssustainablefuture.



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geen Business Pom - The Westcheste

geen Business Chene

Directly confronting global climate change

and reducing our carbon footprint are critical

to the future success of the business com-munity. The Business Council of Westchester,

in partnership with Westchester County, has

created the Westchester Green Business

Challenge and related website that has at-

tracted a broad spectrum of county busi-

nesses. This proactive educational program is

aimed at sensitizing the countys businesses

to improving the environment and spurring

economic development while enhancing

operational efciency and saving money. An

interactive scorecard establishes baselineperformance and links companies to targeted

resources to help improve performance.

The Westchester Green Business Challenge,

now in its second full year of operation, is

open to all 35,000 companies in Westches-

ter. A friendly competition, the program has

been expanded to help advance regional

economic and workforce development goals,

and provides a large umbrella under which

green companies throughout Westchester

County can promote their products and ser-vices. Over the last year the following notable

accomplishments of the Westchester Green

Business Challenge have occurred:

Registration of over 200 companies, span-

ning all size and business sectors.

The launch and upgrade of the Westchester

Green Business Challenge website (www.

westchestergov.com/greenchallenge) that

allows participants to submit and update

their scorecards, post case studies, search

member proles from one centralized web-

based location.

A highly successful recognition event and

education breakfast series (sponsored by

ConEd) that attracted well over 100 attend-

ees to each event, and highlighted some of

the most relevant topics in the area of best

green business practices.

Launched a new webinar series in 2012

that increases educational opportunities

for members and leverages technology to

reduce travel while increasing convenience.

Published the

Westchester Green

Business Directory,

which highlights

over 100 Westches-

ter-based providers

of green products

and services.

The current eco-

nomic environment

makes this the

opportune time to

establish sector

partnerships in

targeted industries

of great importance

to the region.



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new york state

fisc reom

The Business Council

of Westchester hastaken a leadership role

in the Committee to

Save New York, a coali-

tion of business, civic

and labor organiza-

tions, which will inform

the public about the

necessary steps to solve the states current

scal problems. The Committee believes that

basic scal reforms are essential to returning

the states budget to a sustainable level and

putting New York back on the path to eco-

nomic growth and jobs.

As a critical element of rebuilding our econ-

omy, we must reduce costs for job creators,

taxpayers, local government and school

districts. To that end, The Business Council of

Westchester will forcefully continue to advo-

cate the New York State Legislature to adopt

strong mandate relief legislation during the

2012 Legislative Session.

Presently there are too many state laws and

regulations that contribute to the high cost of

local government, which are passed down to

business owners. Albany must control state

spending and lower the combined tax burden

on individuals and businesses.

It is incumbent on our state leaders to:

1 Make the pension system more predictable

and affordable: The state has to allow local

governments and school districts the ability

to manage their current and future pension

costs. We urge the creation of a plan that

allows employees the option of a reduced

(affordable) dened benet plan and de-

ned contribution plan that is controlled by

the employees and does not unduly burden

taxpayers.

2 Redene compulsory arbitration: The cur-

rent binding arbitration system is not afford-

able and must be xed. The state must con-

sider the nancial capacity of local taxpayers

when compulsory arbitration awards are

issued. This can be done by prohibiting con-

sideration of non-compensation in all cases

and adding transparency to the arbitration

process by having the proceedings subject to

the Open Meeting Law.

3 Reduce the costs of construction on pub-

lic/private projects: The state must reduce

the cost of construction in both the public

and private sectors by adopting the follow-

ing measures that will help spur building and

development such as: supporting alternative

project delivery methods like design build,

increasing the Wicks Law threshold across the

state; enacting the Public Construction Savings

Act (S.4121/A.7855) and making the necessary

changes to the antiquated Scaffold Law.

4 Freeze step increases when contractsexpire: The state must repeal the Triborough

Amendment, which allows public employees

pay to continue to increase under an ex-

pired contract which places huge burdens on

school districts and municipalities.

Presently there are

too many state laws

and regulations that

contribute to the

high cost of local

government, which

are passed down to

business owners.

2011Busine

ssCouncilofWestchesterLobbyingDayinAlbany.Photo

takeninthewelloftheNewYorkStateAssemblyChamb

er.



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5 Establish minimum health insurance contri-

bution levels for employees and retirees: It is

time to enact sensible legislation that would

require public employees and retirees to con-

tribute something to their health care costs.Since most taxpayers are already contribut-

ing to their health costs this common sense

change should not be seen as a burden to

public employees and retirees.

6 Prohibit new mandates: The state should

not impose any new mandates on municipali-

ties, school districts and taxpayers. We sup-

port the passage of the Unfunded Mandate

Reform Act (S.5379/A.8150).

7 The State Environmental Quality Review(SEQR) process has been widely seen as caus-

ing serious delays to getting projects done in

a timely manner and causing local municipali-

ties to lose economic development projects

that would create new jobs. It is imperative

that many of the rules and regulations under

SEQR be amended and in some cases elimi-

nated. In addition, the Article 78 challenges

that are used in some cases to delay projects

once they have been approved to begin must

be based on merit. There also needs to be

more transparency in the SEQR process in

order to build a stronger sense of condence

to developers who want to start a project in

New York State. They cannot be subjected to

needless delays and must be provided with

denitive timelines and deadlines from the

beginning of the process.

The Business Council of Westchester calls on

Governor Cuomos Spending and Government

Efciency (SAGE) Commission to aggressive-

ly review the work of each state agency andlook for structural and operational changes

that will streamline the organizational struc-

ture of state government. SAGE must identify

state agencies, commissions and authorities

that have overlapping missions and create a

shared services model that will help create

savings to the state. In addition SAGE should

develop metrics and targets to help improve

performance and make government moreopen, transparent and accountable.

eth Ce

The rising cost of health care continues to be

a major concern to the business community.

Federal health care reform did not provide for

meaningful relief to premiums in the com-

munity rated/small business market. Health

exchanges that will be created through the

federal reform legislation will provide access

but will not address affordability.

The net effect is a new entitlement program

imposed upon the states and their communi-

ties that must address increasing premiums

and higher utilization.

Our goal in 2012 is to achieve meaning-

ful reductions in health care premiums and

Medicaid spending. We will focus on cost-

containment issues, especially in regards to

the implementation of the Health Exchange

Program. We must create exibility in New

Yorks health insurance regulations to permit

more innovative offerings to give businesses

more diverse and affordable choices.

The Business Council of Westchester supports

the following initiatives;

Place a moratorium on new mandates

due to the changes imposed by the

federal health care reform legislation.

Evaluate existing mandates to de-

termine how they align with federal

mandates and determine if mandate

relief is possible.

Reduce taxes and assessments that raise

the cost of health insurance.



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Look for more savings in the states Med-

icaid Redesign effort. Much of the effort to

redesign New Yorks complicated Medicaid

system calls for fundamental changes to

the roles and compensation for many of theproviders in the system. The redesign of the

Medicaid system can not just be across-the-

board provider cuts and manipulated

reimbursement rates to achieve real

savings and not cost-shifts to the

private pay health insurance market.

In addition, we support the concept

of the Medicaid Redesign Teams ef-

forts to have the state take over the cost of

Medicaid nancing from local municipalities.

Reform Medicaid to resemble the more

typical benets offered by other states and

supports a crackdown on Medicaid fraud to

restore taxpayer condence in this program.

Endorse the enactment of medical liability

tort reform to rein in the costs of medical

malpractice insurance.

Advocate for restoring exibility to New

Yorks health insurance regulations to permit

more innovative and targeted health plan

offerings that meet the consumers needs;

exibility in health insurance offerings gives

businesses more diverse and affordable

choices.

Advocate for aligning provider incentives

to promote cost-effective primary care;

the current reimbursement system rewards

providers for high utilization of expensive

procedures at the expense of primary and

preventive care services.

Advocate for the development of pay-for-

performance programs and centers of excel-

lence that reward providers for delivering

higher quality health care and targeting

investments toward results.

Support wellness programs offered by

health insurers, featuring incentives and

rewards for employers; employee contribu-

tions would be voluntary.

Create incentives for the use of electronic

medical records.

ney

The rising costs of electricity coupled with the

lack of new generating capacity continue to

be serious concerns for small and large busi-

nesses. On average, 25% of a consumers elec-

trical bill consists of state and local imposed

taxes, fees and assessments.

A key to revitalizing New Yorks economy is

making New Yorks energy costs more com-

petitive.

Unfortunately, New Yorks energy future

continues to remain unsettled. The New York

Independent Systems Operator (NYISO)

recently reported that New Yorks power de-

mand is expected to increase as the economy

emerges after the recession.

Its important to note that NYISO has con-

tinued to warn of potential energy demand

increases despite implementation of the New

York States energy efciency and demand

side management program. The NYISO has

also warned of the impact to the downstate

region if Indian Point, located in Westchester

County, were to close. As articulated in the

NYISOs 2011 Power Trends report, retire-

ment of both nuclear units at the Indian Point

Energy Center when their current licenses

expire would result in violations of reliability

standards in 2016. Impacts would include loss

of power supply and transmission voltagesupport affecting the metropolitan New York

region.



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To meet these challenges and move New York

State forward, The Business Council of West-

chester offers the following policy recommen-

dations for 2012:

1 Relicense the Indian Point Energy Center;

The Westchester-based Indian Point Energy

Center provides 11 percent of New York

States total electricity and more than 25

percent of the power used in the lower Hud-

son Valley and New York City region.

Closure of Indian Point would also result

in other unintended consequences. With

electricity prices in Westchester already

well over the national average, the closure

of Indian Point would raise rates by $.50 per

kilowatt-hour, over three times the national

average, by 2017.

The closure of Indian Point would eliminate

1,100 high-paying jobs within Westchester

County. Furthermore, Westchester County

and the State of New York would lose $2.1 bil-

lion in cumulative lost wages and nearly $5.5

billion in cumulative lost economic output.

Making up for the loss of more than 2,000

megawatts of power through efciencies,conservation and even a fossil-fuel burning

plant on the current site of Indian Point is

not feasible or realistic, according to numer-

ous in-depth studies over the years: includ-

ing from a prominent 2006 study from

the National Academy of Sciences, and an

independent study by Charles River Associ-

ates conducted for the City of New York.

The Business Council of Westchester strongly

supports the facilitys 20-year license renewal

application and opposes any direct or indi-rect local, state or federal efforts to close the

facility.

2 Lower energy costs to spur the economy

and benet consumers:

New York consumers still suffer from the im-

pact of excessive taxes, fees and other assess-

ments levied from numerous levels of govern-

ment. According to the Public Policy Institute

of New York States report Short-Circuiting

New Yorks Recovery, New Yorks electrical

rates are the third-highest in the nation and

66 percent above the national average.

The Business Council of Westchester recom-

mends;

Elimination of the temporary state energy

and utility service commission assessment

known as the 18-A on consumers.

Imposing a moratorium on new energy

taxes, surcharges, levies and assessments

as well as any increases in existing energy

taxes, surcharges,

levies and assess-

ments.

3 Further promote

conservation and grow

a new generation of

green jobs:

Use of the Systems

Benet Charge and

regional Green-

house Gas Initiatives

(RGGI) funds to

ensure funding for

cost-effective energy

efciency programs

implemented by lo-

cal utilities and state

agencies.

Implementation of

green job training

program.

On average, 25%

of a consumers

electrical billconsists of state

and local imposed

taxes, fees and

assessments.



14/20


Tax abatements and other incentives of-

fered by local government and the Industrial

Development Agencies for the construction

of new facilities in accordance with the US

LEED Green Building Rating System.

Inclusion of minorities and minority/women

owned businesses to ensure all people and

businesses benet from the growing green

economy.

conomic eeopment

Comparative employment trends are among

the best available indicators of whether the

states policies are fostering economic growth.

New Yorks long-term performance has been

abysmal. From 1990-2010, the private-sectorjob base in New York expanded by a net 6

percent, a performance that ranked 45th out

of 50 states during that period. Nationally, by

contrast, private employment in late 2010 was

still 19 percent above the 1990 level.

New York lost more than 300,000 jobs during

the Great Recession of 2007-2009, with its

unemployment rate peaking at a 15-year high

of 8.9 percent.

The most effective economic development

program is the creation of a more competitive

business environment (see Fiscal Reform and

Energy sections) by lowering state-imposed

taxes, fees and assessments and employer

mandates (see Labor and management sec-

tion). As New York continues to improve its

business climate, The Business Council of

Westchester will urge Albany to create new

economic-incentive programs which willhelp industries and create activities that will

produce important returns to the state invest-

ments. We will also continue to highlight the

important economic engine the countys insti-

tutions of higher education serve in helping to

train and create the future employees that we

must have for the future.

Even though the regions employment pic-

ture is stronger than other parts of the state

and nation, Westchester County still has not

regained the jobs lost during the recession.

It is imperative that we continue to create

a business friendly environment for the

county which promotes the hot spots that

Westchester has to offer and not create any

additional mandates that will discourage busi-

nesses from coming to and growing in West-

chester County.

Accordingly:

We support Governor Cuomos continuation

of the States Regional Economic Develop-ment Councils, which last year helped create

a comprehensive strategic plan that cata-

lyzed job creation and economic recovery.

The Regional Councils helped incent trans-

formational change in New Yorks economy.

The momentum gained by last years work of

all 10 Regional Councils must continue in 2012.

We reject proposals to impose new wage

mandates on IDA-assisted projects.

We support legislation allowing IDAs to

make civic authority nancing available to

non-prot organizations permanent.

We reject IDA reform which is aimed at

imposing overburdening procedural require-

ments and operational costs on businesses.

2003

Note: Long-term unemployed are people who have been unemployed at least 27 weeks as of

Novemeber of each year. Sources: Current Population Survey, U.S. Census Bureau; OSC analysis

PercentofUn

employed

50

45

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

5

02004 2005 2006

LONG-TERM UNEMPLOYED IN NEW YORK STATE

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011



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We oppose any delay in businesss recovery

of deferred tax-credits, which are to begin

in January 2013.

We support the continuation of the states

qualied emerging technology company

tax credit for capital, operational training

investments. The program, which targets

small research intensive technology busi-

ness, should enhance its revenue eligibility

threshold from $20 million to $40 million;

increasing the credit for investment in R&D

property from 18-30 percent; and increasing

the credit for qualied research expenses

from 9 to 15 percent.

We support adopting legislation broaden-

ing the list of eligible projects for tax incre-

ment nancing and allow school districts

to opt into these local funding mechanisms.

lbo nd mpoyment

The Business Council of Westchester op-

poses the interference of NYS in the relation-

ship between the states private employers

and their employees and unions. Issues that

should be negotiated between employers and

employees are routinely being introduced as

legislation and then approved by the Leg-islature and Governor. In addition, there has

been an increase in granting the Department

of Labor greater enforecement authority and

increased employer penalties without demon-

strating that current enforcement authority is

insufcient. Collectively these actions create

New Yorks anti-business climate and are a

detriment to positive economic development.

Accordingly we oppose the following legisla-

tion:

Wage mandates for private sector em-

ployees, especially in the area of prevailing

wage.

Time-off mandates.

Paid family leave, using the disability insur-

ance system for the payment of disability

benets to non-disabled employees (cur-

rently excluded by Congress from the fed-

eral program) absent from work on familycare matters.

The automatic indexing of unemployment

benets.

Tnspottion

As a leading advocate

for a new Tappan Zee

Bridge and a member

of the Tappan Zee

Bridge Futures Task

Force, The BusinessCouncil of West-

chester has fought

for the installation of

effective transporta-

tion infrastructure to

move goods, services,

and people east/west

and north/south. We

applaud the Gover-

nors role in securing

the funding to make this project a reality. The

new expedited timeline for the project will

create jobs and generate much needed eco-

nomic development opportunities in West-

chester County. By building this new bridge

there will nally be a cohesive transportation

network for the region.

As the work on the new bridge continues,

The Business Council of Westchester will con-

tinue to advocate for the additional funding

to make the bridge ready for mass transit and

heavy rail options. Replacing the Tappan ZeeBridge will fulll one of The Business Council

of Westchesters top priorities: to give the

residents of Westchester County a guarantee

of crossing a bridge that is safe and secure.

The Business

Council of

Westchester is a

leading advocate

for a new Tappan

Zee Bridge.



16/20


federaleth CeThe sweeping health care reform package

that Congress passed is now law. What re-

mains is implementation, writing hundreds of

rules, setting up new agencies in all 50 states,

enforcing compliance, processing lawsuits

aimed at stopping the new health plan and

dealing with the unforeseen consequences

through future legislative xes.

The Business Council of Westchester is

committed to ensuring that business-

es arent faced with undue burdens

of the new law and will advocate for

legislation to x problems as they

arise. At the same time the reform

law chose to expand coverage rather than

control costs, as its primary objective. We

support legislation which will x the under-

lying cost drivers of the health care system

so that premium relief for businesses can be

achieved.

Accordingly we will focus on the following

areas:

Get Costs Under Control: Utilize a number

of cost-effective strategies such as medical

liability reform, health information technolo-

gy, small business pooling, combating fraud

and abuse, consumer-driven health options,

wellness prevention, administrative simpli-

cation, and allowing individuals and small

business to deduct the full cost of health

insurance expenses.

Create a Vibrant Market Place: Create a na-

tional all-inclusive connector/exchange that

removes fragmentation, allows businesses

and individuals from anywhere in the coun-

try to enroll and improves pooling, choice

and competition.

mpoyee fee Choice act (Cd-Check)

We opposed this legislation which would end

secret ballots in union elections. If a major-

ity of employees sign authorization forms, or

cards, a union would be formed and employ-

ers would have 120 days to reach a contract.

Failing that, the government would appoint

an arbitrator to impose contract terms.

Card-check legislation as originally proposed

undermines the long standing principle of

workplace democracy and fairness created

through the secret ballot. Its elimination will

subject employees to intimidation by unions

and peers. Binding arbitration will put sub-

stantial cost pressures on businesses, many of

whom have little or no experience in negoti-

ating key issues such as wages, benets and

worker productivity. The legislation would

also impose nes of up to $20,000 per viola-

tion, triple back pay and increase the use of

injunctions against employers.

Cp-nd-Tde

The Business Council is committed to the

overall goals of climate change regulation

that encourages energy efciencies, culti-

vates needed renewable energy research anddevelopment and spurs a new generation of

green-collar jobs.

We urge policy makers to ensure that jobs

are secured and local interests fortied while

implementing federal cap-and-trade. More-

over, any federal legislation must avoid pitting

states and regions against each other and

provide a uniform, fair standard for all states

and regions within the U.S.

More than 48 percent of New York States

energy portfolio is made up of clean, afford-

able and sustainable resources, such as hydro

and nuclear power. These factors contribute

to New Yorks distinction of producing the

lowest per capita carbon dioxide emissions in



17/20


the U.S. To avoid putting New York State at a

disadvantage, the denition of renewable and

sustainable energy at the federal level must

endorse the classication of hydro, nuclear

and waste energy.

mmition reom

The U.S. immigration system fails to meet the

current needs of our businesses, our workers

and our economy. We strongly advocate for

comprehensive immigration reform that goes

beyond border security and workplace en-

forcement measures. Comprehensive reform

must also create effective legal avenues for

people to enter and leave the U.S. and allow

those already contributing to our society to

earn permanent residence.

We support the development of appropriate

temporary and permanent employment-based

visa categories to encompass a wide range

of skills, along with provisions for sufcient

number of visas based on market demand.

The visa programs, especially the H-1B pro-

gram for foreign skilled workers, must remain

exible and accessible. We endorse the devel-

opment of an effective, secure and workable

computerized verication system to enableemployers to accurately and fairly determine

the legal status of potential employees.

Medicid reom

Medicaid reform designed to reduce costs

to New York State are long overdue and are

now even more pressing given the expansion

of Medicaid and the cuts in Medicaid spend-

ing being considered as parts of the national

health care reform legislation. Shifts in Med-

icaid spending would have greater conse-

quences on New Yorks health care delivery

system than they would in most other states

since our generous benets account for one

out of every three health care dollars. In addi-

tion, since Medicaid expenses are shared with

local governments in New York, local property

taxes would increase under the current fed-

eral reform legislation. The Business Council

of Westchester advocates for a well-justied

increase in Medicaid funding to New York

State to address the low comparative per-centage of federal Medicaid assistance that

currently applies.

Tnspottion

Funding for a new Hudson River crossing

that will include a mass transit component is

a huge endeavor that requires the evaluation

of many nancing alternatives. The Business

Council of Westchester appreciates the fact

the funding for building the new Tappan Zee

Bridge has been fast tracked so that this

important project will nally get done. We will

continue to pursue Federal funds for infra-

structure projects that are critical to creating

economic development for the region.

We support legisla-

tion which will x

the underlying cost

drivers of the health

care system so that

premium relief for

businesses can be

achieved.



18/20


xecutie Committee

Chimn o the Bod

Stephen J. Jones, Esq.

Jones, LLP

Pesident/C

Dr. Marsha Gordon

The Business Council of

Westchester

mmedite Pst Chi/

Chimn o omintin

Committee

Christopher OCallaghan

Cushman & Wakeeld

vice Chi, ae eeopment

Warren Lesser

H & S Property Management,

Inc.

vice Chi, Business

eeopment

Anthony Justic

Maier Markey & Justic LLP

vice Chi, goenment

action

Cynthia Rubino

Berkeley College

vice Chi, m Business

Ted Miller

Datakey Consulting, LLC

Tesue

Wiley Harrison

African American Men of

Westchester

associte Tesue

Dr. Greg Chartier

The Ofce of Gregory J.

Chartier

gene Counci

Jon Dorf, Esq.

The Dorf Law Firm, LLP

ecety

Ronald Stytzer

Antuns of Westchester

Catering

Elizabeth Bracken-Thompson

Thompson & Bender, Inc.

Willa Brody

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital,

Westchester

Jean Marie Connolly

BNY Mellon Wealth

Management

Thomas Lalla, Jr.

Pernod Ricard

Ellen Lynch

Yonkers IDA

James OToole

James P. OToole Consulting

iectos

Sheila Appel

IBM Corporation

Renee Brown

C.W. Brown, Inc.

Stacey Cohen

Co-Communications, Inc.

Daniel Conte

Westchester Marriott Hotel

John DAgostino

KeyBank

Joanne R. DeyoRegeneron Pharmaceuticals

Inc.

Dr. Charles J. DiComo

NY BIOHUD VALLEY Advisor

Therese Ferretti

Collins Brothers Moving Corp.

Catherine Gasteyer

Verizon

James Giangrande

Altium Wealth Management

Dr. Joseph Hankin

Westchester Community

College

Peter Herrero

NY Hospitality Group

Timothy M. Jones

Robert Martin Company LLC

Marigrace Lalli

Kraft Foods Inc.

Patrick F. LynchOLA Consulting Engineers

Yuval H. Marcus

Leason Ellis LLP

Matthew McCrosson

OConnor Davies Munns &

Dobbins, LLP

William McGrath

Pace University

Nancy Woodruff Ment

Andrus Childrens Center

Norman MichaelsMichaels & Associates, Inc.

Shawn Miles

MasterCard Worldwide

Sandra Miller

Con Edison Company of

New York, Inc.

Glenn J. Pacchiana

Thalle Industries Inc.

Cathie Schaffer

JP Morgan Chase

Michael SchiliroCommunity Mutual Savings

Bank

Simeon A. Schwartz, M.D.

WESTMED Medical Group

Stewart Strauss

Strauss Paper Co., Inc.

Richard Swierat

Westchester Arc

Stacey Tank

Heineken USA

Kenneth TheobaldsEntergy

Patrick L. Vaccaro

Jackson Lewis, LLP

Peter Wilcox

PepsiCo Inc

2012bo

ardof

directo

rs



19/20


DESIGN:JILLSINGERGRAPHICS



20/20

Contct

Dr. Marsha Gordon

[email protected]

John Ravitz

[email protected]

The Business Council of Westchester

108 Corporate Park Drive

Suite 101

White Plains, NY 10604

914.948.2110 westchesteny.o

bcw legislativeagendafinal

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