Join Enough Already NY campaign

In a recent presentation to the Orange County Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of New York State CEO Ken Adams talked about the council”™s “Enough Already NY” campaign, highlighted by the “Five to Survive” reforms.

The Orange County Chamber and many other organizations in the Hudson Valley have signed onto the “Enough Already NY” campaign, which is an effort to unite New Yorkers who want lower taxes, smaller and more efficient government, economic growth and jobs. The message is simple: No new taxes, no new borrowing, no more gimmicks. It”™s time to cut runaway spending and enact major fiscal reforms.

If you or your business or organization has not come out in support of this effort, it”™s not too late. As the Business Council says, “Now is the perfect time to tell your representatives in Albany ”˜enough already”™ and make them promise all New Yorkers that they won”™t raise taxes, impose fees or borrow against our future to pay for programs we can”™t afford.”

The “Five to Survive” reforms call for the capping of property taxes, a cap on state spending, reduction of the tax burden, reforming public employee pensions and limiting government borrowing.

As advocates for the business community, we must publicly embrace this call for responsibility in state government and do all we can to let our legislators know that we”™ve had enough.

The Business Council has taken the lead on this campaign and I applaud their efforts. But they can”™t do it alone. Visit www.enoughalreadyny.org and take action.

Dozens of our elected leaders have already signed on as “leaders” for Enough Already NY”™s Five to Survive pledge, but more need to do so.

We join the Business Council in asking you to “please urge your legislators in Albany to take meaningful steps to address our chronic budget problems by reducing spending so that New York state government finally starts to live within its means, like the rest of us.”

John A. D”™Ambrosio is president of the Orange County Chamber of Commerce. Reach him at drjohn@orangeny.com.