An upstate coalition of business and trade organizations is among those calling for the State Senate to get back to work.
Brian Sampson, Executive director of Unshackle Upstate was in Watertown Wednesday morning, speaking to the Greater Watertown-North Country Chamber of Commerce.
His bi-partisan group says New York is on the brink of becoming a national embarrassment because of the way it treats its taxpayers.
However, voters are largely to blame as they keep returning incumbents to office, Sampson said.
"I think for far too long we've seen incumbents go back to Albany because everybody believes that their elected official isn't bad, it's the other ones. So we really have to start educating the taxpayer," Sampson said.
Unshackle Upstate's figures show that the latest state budget adds over $1,300 onto the taxes of the average family of four.
"And it's kind of a nickel and dime approach... so no one really sees this big impact; it's just money that drips out of their pocket," Sampson said.
Visit the Unshackle Upstate website,
here. Meanwhile, Chamber Executive Karen Delmonico said the power play taking place in the State Senate could hurt industrial prospects eying the Empire State.
"I think businesses really look at what the business climate is. And it's very confusing what's going on. And we really need a government doing what it's supposed to do," Delmonico said.
Ms. Delmonico was in Albany Tuesday at Governor Paterson's invitation, standing among county officials supporting the Governor's call for the Senate to resume its work.
