State Senators Bring Small Business Discussion to Rockland

Senator David Carlucci (D-Rockland/Westchester) joined other members of the New York State Senate Majority Coalition put the focus on improving circumstances for small businesses in a public hearing at Nanuet Public Library Monday.

"Small Businesses are the heart and soul of New York's economy and the driving force behind job creation in every corner of our state," Carlucci said. "By working together in a bipartisan fashion, my colleagues and I are committed to making doing business in our state easier and creating a more competitive and rewarding economic climate. I look forward to using testimony outlined today to help reduce unnecessary red tape and help create jobs."

The hearing was the sixth in a series of 10 such sessions statewide focused on regulatory reform with the goal of removing restrictions on business growth in New York. Nine speakers addressed the hearing Tuesday, including representatives of the Rockland Business Association, Rockland Industrial Development Agency, SUNY Rockland Small Business Development Center and Rockland Independent Living Center.

“New York’s 22 miles of job-killing bureaucratic red tape, rules and regulations are an anchor dragging down our economy and making our state a more costly, less business-friendly place," Senator Kathleen Marchione said. "I have been proud to be part of this historic, bipartisan effort aimed at cutting state government red tape so we can remove regulatory burdens from job creators and taxpayers alike. Our forum today is focused on hearing from small businesses that are the backbone of our economy and employ more than half of all New Yorkers. My colleagues and I look forward to hearing from small businesses and private sector leaders about what Albany can do to stop hurting and start helping.”

Upcoming hearings include one focused on manufacturing Oct. 9 in Corning and biotechnology Oct. 15 in Rochester.

“New York State has been labeled ‘anti-business’ for what seems like a generation, and two items are always identified as chiefly responsible – taxes and regulations," Senator Patrick Gallivan said. "A lot of air and ink have been spent outlining the state’s high-tax problem, but not nearly enough energy has been spent trying to understand and combat New York’s job-killing regulatory structure. This series of 10 forums concentrating on the regulatory burden confronting specific industries and economic sectors vital to regional and statewide economic growth is state government’s first honest attempt to address this in a long time.”