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Hawley hails regional economic development effort

By Howard B. Owens

Press release:

Assemblyman Steve Hawley (R,I,C – Batavia) recently attended a press conference at Monroe Community College announcing the creation of the area’s first Regional Economic Development Council. Joining Governor Andrew Cuomo and Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy, Hawley expressed his optimism to see such hands-on efforts to improve the economy here in Western New York.

“Today signals the beginning of a new day for the Western New York economy,” Hawley said. “I am especially pleased to see that Lieutenant Governor Robert Duffy will be the chair of all 10 regional councils. Hailing from our region, he has been a tremendous advocate on behalf of Western New York, and I have full confidence that he will be even more helpful in this new capacity.

"I have had a number of face-to-face and phone conversations with him to discuss the priorities facing the business owners and job creators in my district, and I know that the formation of this regional council will only continue to spur the growth and revitalization of Western New York’s economy.”

Ten regional economic development councils will be created across the state to compete for $1 billion in funding that will be geared toward jump-starting local economies. The panels are comprised of leaders from government, business and academia, and will partner with community leaders and state legislators to craft projects that will benefit their geographic and demographic needs.

Irene Will

You're right, William - we don't need any more -

Politics: from the words "poly" meaning many, and "ticks"
meaning "small blood-sucking parasites."

Jul 29, 2011, 2:27pm Permalink
Irene Will

It's going to be like the program wherein the State is spending 3 MILLION dollars to help get air conditioners for low income people - 3,700 of them - that's $810 per air conditioner - now, if they got the $200 air conditioners like I got, they could help 15,000 people !!!!!!!

But then again, they probably ARE getting $200 air conditioners - the other $610 per household no doubt is going to State employees - for processing the PAPERWORK

Jul 29, 2011, 2:48pm Permalink
C. M. Barons

The only problem I see with a Regional Economic Development Council, it is another layer of government. We have numerous economic development agencies now. How do they interact? What is the division of labor between them? How much redundancy is there? How much inter-agency competition is there? Does the left hand know what the right hand is doing?

It's not that we don't need economic development... We don't need another layer of government atop several existing layers, none of which are coordinated- each acting independent of the rest, duplicating, confusing and blurring their mission.

If the REDC functions as coordinator for all of the subordinate agencies, it will prove valuable. If it's an independent player, it will be just another patronage job for idle politicos.

Jul 29, 2011, 3:31pm Permalink

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