On Feb. 4, Unshackle Upstate joined with local business leaders to announce its 2009 priority agenda, calling for reduced state spending and other legislative reforms that will help revitalize the lagging Upstate economy.

"Businesses and residents of New York can no longer bear the burden of unsustainable spending decisions emanating from Albany," said Brian Sampson, executive director of Unshackle Upstate, who was joined at the news conference by Sandy Parker, president and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance, and Maj. Gen. John Batiste, U.S. Army (retired) and president of Klein Steel Service Inc.

"Now is the time, during this fiscal crisis, to advocate that sound structural changes in policy should be adopted so that when the economy improves, we are better positioned for job creation and growth," Sampson said.

The coalition's 2009 agenda calls for state leaders to reduce state spending and continue to implement targeted spending reductions in State government, without raising taxes. The coalition is advocating that for 2009-10, New York should hold state spending in Medicaid and Education to current levels, saving the state roughly $5.1 billion. Consolidation of state departments and agencies along with restructuring of pensions will bring added cost reductions. Further, onerous state laws such as Wick's, Taylor and Labor Law 240/241, which have no fiscal implications to the state, need to be reformed to decrease their burden on state finances.

The agenda also focuses on addressing the ever-rising local property taxes by adopting a meaningful property tax cap and implementing cost-saving initiatives outlined in the final report of the New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief. The coalition supports recommendations such as no new legislative or regulatory mandates that affect local property taxes. Further, Unshackle advocates for an annual report to be issued by the Office of the State Comptroller that would cover the cumulative cost to localities of complying with legislative mandates.

Energy relief is the final consideration of the yearly agenda. Unshackle Upstate recommends that low-cost power programs be centralized, streamlined and judged with one set of progressive, pro-business selection criteria. The coalition also aims to reduce taxes and other statutory and regulatory costs on energy while promoting effective infrastructure investment in order to modernize to account for improved reliability, diversity in generation supply, clean energy sources and overall supply accessibility.

"At times, Unshackle Upstate has needed to play defense and has done well to ensure that onerous laws are not passed. But we are not finished," said Parker, president and CEO of the Rochester Business Alliance. "There is still a great deal of work that needs to be done if we are to survive this recession and come out as the best place to live, work and raise a family."

Sampson is Unshackle Upstate's first ever Executive Director, and he has been charged by coalition leadership with growing the coalition, educating partners, their employers, and elected officials on the effects of current and/or proposed legislation with a goal to take coalition efforts to the next level, working toward the reform needed to revitalize the region. The yearly priority agenda aims to outline coalition priorities for the year.

Unshackle Upstate is a bi-partisan coalition of more than 70 business and trade organizations representing upwards of 45,000 companies and employing more than 1 million people.

Together with its partners, more than 340,000 messages have been sent to elected officials voicing concern and demanding action. As a result, Unshackle Upstate has experienced growth and achieved significant structural legislative reforms that are helping Upstate and all of New York state's businesses and the people they employ.

To learn more, log on to www.UnshackleUpstate.com.