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COMMERCE CHENANGO MEMO Leading Business, Leading Communities™ Weekly Update of Happenings & Business Tips for Chamber Members Week of Aug 25-29, 2008 "Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." -- Voltaire (Writer/Philosopher) Chamber Member Good News
Business Council Statement on Special Session “Governor Paterson chose a bold, prudent and responsible course by confronting New York’s fiscal crisis. The legislature has answered the Governor’s call and responded with real cost reductions,” added Adams. “While these “cuts” simply reduce the growth in state spending this year to more reasonable levels, we recognize that they are difficult choices, especially in an election year and the legislature should be commended for taking this action,” said Adams. “The State Senate Majority showed true courage in rejecting the Assembly’s call for new taxes. New York cannot tax its way out of this crisis. New taxes will only do more harm to economy. The tax and spend business-as-usual policies in New York created this crisis. Now the state must chart a new course to spend less, borrow less and tax less,” concluded Adams. Assembly Addresses New York's Expected
Winter Home Heating Crisis "Given the record high price of home heating fuel, far too many New Yorkers will have to choose between heating their homes throughout the long months of ice and snow and bitter cold that are coming and feeding their families. We cannot wait until the crisis is upon us before we act," said Cahill. Earlier this year, the Assembly Majority advanced a proposal which will effectively and meaningfully help New Yorkers combat the rising costs of home heating through enhancements of the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and energy conservation measures. "At a time when our economy is in a decline and New York is facing serious economic challenges, Shell and Exxon Mobil recorded a 2008 second quarter profit of nearly $12 billion each and Chevron and every other Big Oil Company enjoyed another quarter of record profits," said Cahill. The Assembly Majority called for action out of concern for the New Yorkers who do not have the resources to heat their homes this winter. "Many New Yorkers are expected to struggle this winter with the high cost of home heating oil," said Cahill. "The Assembly Majority has developed and passed a plan to provide an additional $550 million to enhance the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and $250 million for energy conservation measures and home energy efficient programs. Our plan will help more families to qualify for much needed assistance. We don't want anyone in our state to have to choose between heating and eating." In anticipation of a crisis, the Assembly developed and approved a responsible plan (A.11590) in June to include:
Under the bill already passed in the Assembly, funding for the plan would be generated through:
Assembly Majority Leader Ron Canestrari said, "Over the past year, New Yorkers have seen home heating costs increase by more than 75%. We in the Assembly majority recognize the severity of this problem and have developed a comprehensive plan to combat it. Speaker Silver and Energy Committee Chair Kevin Cahill have demonstrated true leadership in addressing this critical issue which will impact millions of New Yorkers this winter. I applaud them and echo their message today that the time to act is now." Assemblyman Bob Reilly said, "Recent quarterly financial reports unambiguously demonstrate that current profits of oil companies are unreasonable and some would say obscene. Many New Yorkers face a personal financial crisis this winter when increases in heating fuel some on top of the already increased costs of gasoline, food, and many other oil dependent products. The Assembly's plan to help New Yorkers in this time of crisis is simply what good government must be about." The NYC Coalition Against Hunger recently reported that the number of meals served by City-supported soup kitchens and food pantries was nine percent higher in spring of 2008 than a year before. This was based on data from the City's Human Resources Administration. Dunlea noted that the skyrocketing cost of energy and food appear to be long term trends rather than merely a short term crisis. Read the full story at http://assembly.state.ny.us/Press/20080804/. Save the Date September 17th ~ “Demystify Finance in Just One Day!” Seminar The programs is slated to run from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m on September 17th at Morrisville State College, Norwich Campus, Community Room. Register by September 12th with Rachel at 607-334-1402 or email rcrandall@chenangony.org to get the discounted rate of $99.00. Sept. 25th ~ Networking Luncheon sponsored by Frontier Communciations ~ at the Genegantslet Golf Club, beginning at 11:45 a.m. Give us your feedback on Chenango County's premier website at www.chenangony.org. |
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