(Ridiculous. I've said before, I'll say it again: reform the Empire Zones or kill them. - promoted by phillip anderson)
A number of papers in the State have reported that Empire State Development has sent out 3,000 letters to recipients of benefits under the Empire Zones program, putting those businesses on notice that they'd failed to meet their goals.
That's almost one-third of all businesses who have joined the Empire Zones roster, which was a pet project of Pataki and the once-powerful Charles Gargano. |
| The Syracuse Post-Standard reports:
New York state's economic development agency put 3,000 warning letters in the mail to businesses it said did not meet at least 60 percent of their promises to create jobs and invest money in exchange for Empire Zone tax breaks. The state used the companies' applications and 2005 Business Annual Reports to make the list. Next, the state plans to look at the 2006 annual reports to see if the companies made any progress in the next year. If not, state officials may notify the companies that they will try to revoke their Empire Zone membership.
The paper helpfully (unlike the T-U and others) provides not only the full text of the standard letter sent out, but also to a full Excel file of businesses that received them.
This is particularly helpful to citizen journalists, as many local papers are not reporting the story, perhaps protecting local businesses from embarrassment. I've yet to see a story, for example, in a Columbia County publication, where there are six businesses cited (plus C.H. Evans Brewery, which operates in Albany but has a Hudson ZIP code).
The Empire Zone program has been under fire practically since it's inception as a boondoggle. The agency's action seems like a small start toward reforming it. Some would say it ought to be eliminated altogether. What say you all? |
