Sanity on subsidies?

David Paterson said something very interesting the other day regarding economic development in a meeting with The Buffalo News editorial board.

"Rather than throwing a billion dollars at some company to come in and create a certain amount of jobs, what we have to do is lower the business taxes and create the kind of environment in which business will flourish. and at that point the market will take over.

"That is not as enticing to public servants as these companies that come in and basically seduce you into giving taxpayer dollars away."

Maybe, just maybe, that foretells an effort to reform the myriad of susbsidy programs. Here in WNY they involve hundreds of millions of dollars a year in tax breaks, tax credits and discounted power. Not that the local economy has taken off as a result.

Reform would affect more than just economic development policy. There's a fiscal element, too. The Empire Zone program alone costs the state $600 million a year. That's no small consideration, given the state's fiscal condition.

Comments

[Mark]

On of the characteristics of a leader is someone who is willing to take chances and speak up. Patterson seems to be someone who knows the process and knows what needs to be changed in it. At this point it is refreshing. Hopefully our long entrenched group of Assembly and Senate members will also "get it" and buy into the process instead of the usually list of self created roadblocks to change.