Job growth, tax reform, and fiscal discipline are the leading items on the agenda for Heather Briccetti, the new president and CEO of the Business Council of New York State. The lawyer, legislative staffer and farmer outlined her plans for 2012 before more than 200 guests at the monthly luncheon of the Rockland Business Association at the IBM Dolce Center in Palisades on Feb. 16.
Briccetti, who succeeds Ken Adams, now head of the Empire State Development Corp. , said her goals are to promote private sector job growth; maintain fiscal discipline; and move the legislature toward providing real relief from mandates that are burdening municipalities.
“The governor has really wanted to hear what is wrong with New York,” said Briccetti. “He is interested in finding out our challenges — but it will take time to get those messages to Albany …. Gov. Cuomo is sincere in his efforts to make the business atmosphere better.”
Briccetti said she learned that firsthand when the brook near her home turned into a raging river during Hurricane Irene, washing away the well-traveled road she lived on. “Within a week, repair crews were there making the necessary repairs. In seven days, the road was repaired, and back up and operating. Shortly after that, the New York State Department of Transportation came and ripped up the work, claiming it had not been done properly.”
That prompted Briccetti to call and inquire why a road that had been repaired was now being torn apart and repaired again. “Within days,” she said, “I got a call from the Department of Environmental Conservation following up on this.” For Briccetti, it illustrated the progress she said the governor has made in getting state agencies to work together rather than in silos. “In the past, you would not be able to get through to anyone … it was a pleasant surprise to see someone actually act on my phone call.”
She next addressed the subject of tax reform. “What Gov. Cuomo and the Business Council would like to see is a restructuring of the current tax codes,” she said. “The $3.5 billion budget gap was closed in the 2012-2013 budget without any new taxes or fees … (but) if the governor had let the millionaire”™s tax expire, there would be a deficit in the budget.”
Briccetti said the Business Council is not in favor of raising the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $8.50. “There is going to be a lot of fighting over raising it and also implementing Tier 6 pension reform. We love pension reform but do not think raising the minimum wage is going to help job creation.”
Tier 6, proposed by Governor Cuomo, is a new pension plan for nurses, teachers, firefighters and other workers employed by state and local governments. It offers new hires the choice between a defined-benefit pension plan and a defined-contribution 401(k)-style plan.
Briccetti also said she would like to see more private capital investment, support for development of the Marcellus Shale, a natural gas reserve in the Appalachians, and business tax reform, as well as an easing of the state”™s environmental quality review procedures. She also voiced her opposition to health insurance reform as now proposed.
To bring New York businesses into the discussion in Albany, the Business Council has added a new web site, fixnewyork.org. “The unions use this medium very well, and we should too,” said Briccetti. “It”™s a way to coordinate business comments and concerns. Companies are loathe to share information with employees ”“ but employees are eager to know what they can do to help the company grow.
“New York seems to be the first to do the worst and the last to (do) the best ”“ and that needs changing,” Briccetti reflected. “It”™s time we let Albany know they need to help local governments get projects done in a timely manner.”
Briccetti also said she and the business community would like to government agencies working together and informed of each other”™s activities so there will be no duplication of services ”“ like repaving a just-paved road.
