In letter to lawmakers, Hochul makes case for upstate competitive fund

Joseph Spector

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote a letter to the state Legislature yesterday urging them to back Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposal to create a $1.5 billion competitive economic development fund for upstate New York.

The letter comes amid skepticism from some lawmakers that the plan would provide $500 million to the three winning regions of the state, but leave the other four who are eligible with nothing.

To address the concerns, Cuomo has revamped the program so it's run through the state's regional councils program and would provide no less than $90 million to the 10 regions of the state.

"This a bold, forward looking plan that has the potential to transform upstate New York's economy," Hochul's letter says. "This is an opportunity of a lifetime for upstate."

Hochul, a former western New York congressman, touts the $1 billion that Cuomo pledged to Buffalo in 2012, saying it has transformed the once-struggling manufacturing city.

"It is a new day now in Buffalo -- and not just because the Bills have Rex Ryan and LeSean McCoy," she wrote. "The Buffalo Billion -- a program launched in 2012 -- changed the trajectory of our region and truly worked," she wrote.

The letter also addresses another concern: The pot wouldn't be available for major infrastructure repairs, unless it's somehow tied to job creation. Upstate cities have urged that they need state aid to repair aging roads and bridges.

Cuomo has argued that if the competitive fund can be used to create permanent jobs, then upstate would have a better economy that could fund infrastructure needs.

"What the governor is proposing with his upstate agenda has a long-term focus -- building an economy for upstate's future," Hochul wrote.

Upstate Revitalization Initiative.pdf by jspector