Smith, Upstate Senators Want Regional Blueprint Funds For Upstate

by: robert.harding

Mon Apr 13, 2009 at 07:25:38 AM EDT

On April 9, 2008, Governor David Paterson announced that his own version of the upstate revitalization plan would be included in the budget. Instead of $1 billion, the plan was cut to $700 million. In the press release announcing the plan, the Regional Blueprint Fund is outlined:

Regional Blueprint Fund ($120 million): Reflecting the need to move away from a "one-size-fits-all" approach to Upstate economic development, the Enacted Budget creates a $120 million Regional Blueprint Fund, which will be used to take advantage of the unique assets in each part of New York. This fund will be administered by the Empire State Development Corporation and will build on Regional Blueprint sessions held last fall to identify projects that will enhance each specific Upstate area's economic advantages.

After reviewing Spitzer's upstate plan and Paterson's upstate plan, there are a couple of differences. But what was also included in Paterson's plan that received very little attention was $35 million for a "downstate revitalization fund" that was included in Paterson's upstate plan.

Why is that important? A year after Paterson announced his own plan for upstate, that $120 million that was supposed to be invested in upstate has been held up by Gov. Paterson. Instead of using it as a Regional Blueprint Fund, Paterson wants to combine it with the "downstate revitalization fund" and use those monies for projects all across the state. While all the money won't go to downstate, it all won't go to upstate either.

The five upstate Democratic senators - Sen. Neil Breslin, Sen. Darrel Aubertine, Sen. David Valesky, Sen. Bill Stachowski and Sen. Antoine Thompson - came together with Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith to write a letter to Governor Paterson calling on him to release these funds that were promised to upstate. You can read the letter here.

This is important and this won't be the last time you hear about this issue during the week. When last year's budget was announced, Governor Paterson took advantage of the $700 million he set aside for upstate and used it for his political gain. There were conference calls (which I took part in at the time) where Paterson touted this plan for upstate. In that plan was the Regional Blueprint Fund, which he said would be in the 2008-09 budget and in the 2009-10 budget.

But now, Paterson is trying to play games with the funds. That $120 million could go a long way for upstate New York. It could also help Paterson at a time when he is struggling throughout the state and in upstate New York.

Release the funds, Governor Paterson. Upstate needs them. This money was promised to upstate by you in last year's budget. Don't go back on your word.  

We are writing in the interest of preserving a focused economic development program for Upstate New York through preservation and programming of the $120 million Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund.

The Upstate Fund was designed to address a clear set of needs that have been repeatedly articulated since its inception in the 2008-09 Enacted Budget.

Despite an overwhelming need for an Upstate-focused economic development strategy, the Upstate Fund has continued to lie dormant.

Hundreds of Upstate stakeholders from labor to agriculture to business provided the input that was the genesis for the Upstate Fund. These stakeholders articulated the need for a focus on Upstate's metropolitan cores and the significant lack of infrastructure needed to spur economic development.

Specifically, Upstate communities struggle with an inadequate number of "development-ready" sites, insufficient shovel-ready industrial parks, and stand-alone business locations are scarce. Urban centers do not provide quality buildings or sites that are ready for adaptive reuse or new construction.

The Upstate Regional Blueprint Fund must remain dedicated to Upstate New York as the first step in reversing the downward economic trend that Upstate has experienced for decades. We urge you to act immediately and clearly to protect the Upstate fund, and to move this valuable funding into investments quickly.

While preserving jobs is of the utmost importance, a strategic initiative to ensure continued and long term job growth is of equal importance and is sorely missing in our economic development strategy. We hope you will move quickly to issue these much needed funds in the form of grant and loan programs focused on the downtown and infrastructure needs of Upstate New York.