ALIGN

Rochester City Paper, By Jeremy Moule, September 7, 2011. Alliance for a Greater New York, a wide-ranging coalition which includes Metro Justice, recently released a report that included recommendations for the councils. One of the report's recommendations: the council membership needs to go beyond business leaders. Low-income communities, communities of color, and workers groups should play a part in economic development discussions, the report says. The councils also lack environmental voices, critics say.

Artvoice, By Clifford Clawton, August 4, 2011. Governor Cuomo’s next plan in his campaign to make New York the “empire state, once again” is a revitalized series of Regional Economic Development Councils (REDC). These councils will be formed by executive order and serve as a new approach to job creation based on community consultation and regional reciprocity. The councils could be a benign to brilliant form of representation in economic development—if they weren’t overwhelmingly composed of business interests.

WCNY. By Susan Arbetter, August 3, 2011. Attorney General Eric Schneiderman joins us to discuss public integrity & another issue to come out the fracking debate… The Coalition for Economic Justice’s Alison Duwe isn’t happy with configuration of the Governor’s economic development councils. And it’s thanks to Howie Hawkins that the Green Party’s National Convention is in New York State this year.

Rochester City Newspaper, By Mary Anna Towler, August 2, 2011. You can't exaggerate the seriousness of the Paetec sale and its threat to downtown Rochester. And so Governor Cuomo's focus on the state's economy comes at a crucial time.  But you don't have to be as cynical as I am to be pessimistic about Cuomo's plan for New York State. His first step: 10 high-powered, regional economic development councils, plus one for New York City.

New York Daily News, by All Barbarino and Jake Pearson, July 29, 2011. After more than 100 uninvited community members RSVP'd to an exclusive breakfast with Walmart yesterday, store officials made a last-minute location change to avoid a spectacle. The Daily News reported this week the big-box store was courting select, mostly pro-Walmart East New York local leaders with a breakfast at the Lindenwood Diner - and angry opponents who didn't make the list bum-rushed the event.

The Journal News, by Jon Campbell, July 26, 2011. In the midst of an upstate swing that will bring him to Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse when the day is through, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the makeup of economic development councils in the Finger Lakes and Central New York regions this afternoon.

NY1, by Courtney Gross, July 28, 2011. Things got heated with Councilman Charles Barron outside a closed door meeting in Brooklyn Thursday morning. "They pay slave wages. They don't give you health care. They don't give you benefits. They hire you part time, so they are going to try to buy their way in," said Barron.

WGRZ, by Joseph Spector, July 27, 2011. Gov. Andrew Cuomo began rolling out his regional economic development councils on Tuesday, appointing a mix of leaders from business, unions, colleges and government to work together to revitalize the state's economy.

The Buffalo News, by Matt Glynn, July 27, 2011. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said Tuesday that it was time for regions such as Western New York to overcome internal rivalries and "parochialism" and come up with a unified economic-development plan as they compete for $1 billion in state funding. He also touted the state's new regional economic-development councils as a break with the "one-size-fits-all" approach of the past, allowing each region to capitalize on its unique strengths to foster growth.

Newsday, by James T. Madore, July 27, 2011. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo tapped the presidents of Long Island's largest business group and private university Wednesday to lead a regional council charged with creating jobs.