Assemblyman Bill Reilich (R-Rochester) and members of the Assembly Minority legislative conference Tuesday unveiled a comprehensive new plan designed to create new jobs, invigorate the state’s struggling economy and improve the quality of life for upstate New Yorkers.
"Our toughest challenge in 2004 is to strengthen our economy and help create good jobs for every New Yorker who needs one," Reilich said. "We need to strengthen job-creating programs that work in addition to supporting innovative ideas that will create new opportunities for New Yorkers."
"Roadmap to Renewal" is the Assembly Minority’s list of 2004 legislative priorities. Additionally, this action plan builds on last year’s Assembly Minority "NY First" legislative agenda, the minority conference’s most successful program of achievements in two decades, the lawmaker said.
Reilich outlined the plan, describing the four essential points designed to help improve quality of life for upstate New Yorkers, which focuses on creating new jobs, as well as improving our quality of life by making our communities safer, improving our schools and helping government become more efficient.
"We’ve got to say no to any new job-killing taxes, as well as expanding our Empire Zones to every community that needs one," Reilich said. "We must slash red tape that strangles jobs and target small business for job creation."
The assemblyman said that he has an absolute "zero tolerance" for the rising numbers of sexual assaults and pledges to reform Megan’s Law by supporting better reporting of sex offenders and by closing existing loopholes in the law.
"I will target quality-of-life crime persistent neighborhoods that remain crime-ridden," Reilich said. "We’ve got to create a safe environment so that all New Yorkers can live and work without fear of being the victim of a crime."
Reilich added that he will push for principles in areas of education by protecting the STAR program; rewarding innovative, safe schools; encouraging parental involvement and cutting mandates that waste time and money.
"Better opportunities, safer communities, good schools and more efficient government are goals we all share," Reilich said. "As a former businessman, I know that it is essential that we must support innovative new tax incentives to encourage manufacturing, bolster job-creating small businesses on our Main Streets, and make it tougher for future legislatures to raise job-killing taxes."