NY Initiative for Development Accountability

Not%20Just%20Any%20Job%20May%202008.pdf

With just a few weeks left in the scheduled legislative session, our coalition has done great work to elevate the campaign for comprehensive IDA reform to the top of Albany’s to-do list. Earlier this week, the Associated Press identified IDA reform as one of three key outstanding issues in Albany and just yesterday the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle added its editorial voice to the chorus calling for IDA reform to be resolved this session—check out the clips below.

We can’t be satisfied with IDA reform at the top of the list, however—there’s no guarantee that it will get resolved and if it does, we still have a lot of work to do in a few short weeks to ensure that it’s done right. And by “done right” we mean a statewide policy that establishes accountability measures like strong clawbacks and IDA board representation for the school boards, the community, and the workforce. “Done right” means transparency reforms for IDAs and their subsidy recipients that ensure they disclose accurate information about jobs promised, the quality of those jobs, and the impacts of a proposed project for public review before subsidies are approved and each year thereafter.

And by “done right” we also mean business standards to ensure our tax dollars support quality jobs that pay good wages to local workers—not just any jobs for anybody. As the attached memo, “Not Just Any Job: Upstate Needs Good Jobs,” reveals, the number of jobs available in upstate New York has actually increased over the last decade. It’s not that young people are leaving Buffalo and Syracuse and Utica because they can’t get a job at Wal-Mart or other low-road employers—it’s that they can’t get good jobs that will take care of their families.

New York’s economic development resources must be channeled to target quality, not quantity. Our governor must hear this message every day until a comprehensive IDA reform bill is signed, and our legislators must hear it until they deliver such a bill to the governor. Here’s what we’re doing to keep the pressure on until a compromise is reached by the legislature and agreed to by the governor:

 June 11: Last Mobilization to Albany! We have changed the date of our last Albany mobilization to Wednesday, June 11th. The day’s activities will begin at 11 a.m. in the capitol—the attached flyer reflects the date change. More details to follow next week—please reply or call to confirm who will be attending from your region so we can plan accordingly.

 Next Week: Local Coalition Events! Members of our statewide coalition are planning creative events on Long Island, in Poughkeepsie, Rochester, Buffalo and other areas throughout the state to ensure that lawmakers know they can’t come home without an IDA deal that includes prevailing and living wage standards, accountability measures, and transparency reforms. If you are planning an event or would like to, please contact us to share the details—creativity encouraged to keep the story fresh and the fire stoked!

 NOW: Letters, Calls, Stories, Memos that Demand Action from the Governor and Legislature! Dozens of our supporters’ letters and editorials have been printed in outlets across the state. We’ve done memos and calls directly to the governor and legislature at several points throughout the campaign. If you’ve already sent letters, make calls; if you’ve already made calls, encourage others who haven’t. We must continue to have our voices heard in the media and directly with lawmakers.