Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
12 tips for 2020 email marketing
I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letterAnd make believe it came from youI’m gonna write words, oh, so sweetThey’re gonna knock me off my feet —Fats Waller, American jazz pianist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer America may run on Dunkin’, but business runs on email. Planning out your email marketing missives for […]
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
I’m gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe it came from you
I’m gonna write words, oh, so sweet
They’re gonna knock me off my feet
—Fats Waller, American jazz pianist, composer, singer, and comedic entertainer
America may run on Dunkin’, but business runs on email.
Planning out your email marketing missives for the new year? Try writing your marketing emails as if you’re writing to yourself.
Read your draft out loud. Let your colleagues vet it before you load it into Constant Contact or MailChimp. Test it on a trusted customer. Edit as needed. Then press send.
Here are 12 more tips for effective email blasts.
1. Be clear and concise — it sounds obvious, but we all get an ocean of email that uses a lot of words to say nothing in particular. Words matter. Make them count.
2. Pay attention to your subject line — using an incentive can increase your open rate by up to 50 percent.
3. Create a sense of importance and urgency — if there’s a real time sensitivity, say it in the subject line and again in the close.
4. Use a compelling, open-ended question. Example: Are you ready for the XYZ Law?
5. Use an emoji — 56 percent of brands report higher unique open rates when using emojis.
6. Make sure your first 35-140 characters count — that’s all that typically fits in email- preview mode.
7. Avoid spammy words like buy now, win, and free.
8. Avoid all caps — it’s still considered shouting.
9. Avoid overusing exclamation points. Period.
10. Be conversational — talk human and avoid business jargon.
11. Encourage sharing — tell recipients it’s as easy as hitting forward or clicking on social buttons at the bottom of your message.
12. Resist using colored text — stick with black or dark gray for readability and professionalism.
Steve Johnson is managing partner of Riger Marketing Communications in Binghamton. Contact him at sdjohnson@riger.com
Without Customer Trust, Nothing Else Matters
When the contractor didn’t deliver the proposal as promised, the homeowner called to find out when to expect it. “Sorry about that,” was the reply, “You’ll have it later today or tomorrow.” When it arrived, what passed for a proposal was a “cost estimate” and a hand-drawn layout lacking specifics. It appeared to have been dashed off
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
When the contractor didn’t deliver the proposal as promised, the homeowner called to find out when to expect it. “Sorry about that,” was the reply, “You’ll have it later today or tomorrow.” When it arrived, what passed for a proposal was a “cost estimate” and a hand-drawn layout lacking specifics. It appeared to have been dashed off on the way over. The contractor came recommended, but the homeowner chose another company due to a lack of trust.
Hands down, customer experience is today’s number one marketing hot-button issue — and for good reason. Up to 82 percent of customers who leave do so because of a bad experience. While businesses keep trying to plug up the customer-experience holes, it’s never enough.
There is a lesson here: it’s over and done if trust isn’t established as early as possible. Without a reservoir of goodwill available to recover from a bad customer experience, customers bail.
Even though winning sales is the goal, the first objective is winning customer trust. Credibility matters since the doubt meter is always running with prospects and customers. This is why bulletproofing customer relationships is the number one task. Today’s customers don’t automatically trust brands, businesses, or salespeople. It’s earned by actions, experience, and attitudes that develop over time. And here are ways to establish it.
Follow through
When contacting a business, a lack of follow-through may customers’ greatest fear. Allay their worries by acknowledging how they feel. You could say: “I know how important this is to you … I’ll be back to you about 3 p.m. today,” or “You have my word … but should you want to contact me, here’s my email address and cell number.”
Solve problems fast
“Will-they-or-won’t-they take care of it?” is what customers are thinking when they have a problem. What they’re looking for is a clue on how a business will respond. Surprise them by letting them know you understand and will take care of it now. If you can’t do it, change the policy.
Be candid
“Why didn’t you tell me?” are words that no salesperson wants to hear from a customer. It happens because there’s often a wide gulf between what customers think they want to buy and what’s going to best serve their needs. Be candid with them to make sure they will be satisfied.
Encourage feedback
Companies may say they want to hear from their customers, but make it difficult, at times nearly impossible, to do so. If you’re serious about getting feedback, make it easy for customers to contact you and then respond promptly.
Personalize content
It’s important to tailor content to the customer, and not by just dropping in the customer’s name a couple of times. Imagine having a cup of coffee with someone and keep that picture in your mind as you write. It’s how you say it — with empathy, openness, and understanding that makes it personal.
Make relevant recommendations
Let customers know you “get it” by giving them specific ideas and suggestions that fit them. General offers have a negative effect; they make customers feel you don’t know them.
Test ideas and initiatives first
Before making changes affecting customers, ask them to comment and express their views. Don’t bother if you’re afraid you’ll learn something you don’t want to hear. Taking customers into your confidence avoids mistakes — and creates trust.
Respond quickly
When customers contact businesses today, they either don’t expect a response or assume it will take a day or longer. This is no way to build trust. Response rule: best within 15 minutes — repeat, within 15 minutes.
Acknowledge mistakes
Desensitize tense situations by offering an apology and do it in a way so customers know you care — and not just trying to appease them. Then, resolve it to customers’ satisfaction.
Keep your promises
Many “one star” customer comments, those that inflame customers the most, have to do with “broken promises.” Solution: do what you said you would do when you said you would do it. If you don’t, be prepared to suffer customers’ wrath. In their mind, you have disrespected them.
Give meaning to “valued customer”
These two words are useless unless they translate into value for customers. Examples: a higher credit limit, loyalty options, a direct phone number, an assigned CSR, or some special service.
Find out what they expect
Even though trust is the critical component of customer relationships, its meaning can be highly individual. To avoid customer dissatisfaction and disappointment, ask clients what they expect from you.
Be up-front
Bad customer experiences make consumers wary and doubtful. They’ve heard it all before so they’re ready to do battle when someone says, “We put customers first.” Being transparent in dealing with customers helps boost their trust.
Is it worth the effort to build customer trust? It is worth it if you believe that new customers come with built-in skepticism, waiting for the other shoe to drop This won’t change unless trust is the basis of the customer relationship.
John Graham of GrahamComm is a marketing and sales strategy consultant and business writer. He is the creator of “Magnet Marketing,” and publishes a free monthly eBulletin, “No Nonsense Marketing & Sales Ideas.” Contact him at jgraham@grahamcomm.com or johnrgraham.com
City of Syracuse to choose new leader of Department of NBD
SYRACUSE — The City of Syracuse is working to finish its search for a new commissioner of the City’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD). NBD is a provider of housing, human services, and economic-development programs in Syracuse. The previous commissioner, Stephanie Pasquale, took a newly created position with the Allyn Family Foundation as
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
SYRACUSE — The City of Syracuse is working to finish its search for a new commissioner of the City’s Department of Neighborhood and Business Development (NBD).
NBD is a provider of housing, human services, and economic-development programs in Syracuse.
The previous commissioner, Stephanie Pasquale, took a newly created position with the Allyn Family Foundation as director of neighborhood advancement. The role is focused on “delivering place-based housing and neighborhood-redevelopment strategies.”
“Stephanie has played a critical role in supporting the recent growth in Syracuse, with a focus on creating inclusive housing and economic opportunities. Her work has laid a strong foundation for continued success and has helped make this NBD leadership position highly desirable,” Syracuse Mayor Ben Walsh contended in a Dec. 11 news release.
In her new role with the Allyn Family Foundation, Pasquale is serving as a development liaison between the foundation, the city, and Syracuse Housing Authority in the development of larger scale, mixed income, and affordable-housing projects, including Blueprint 15.
Blueprint 15 is a partnership between the Syracuse Housing Authority, the Allyn Family Foundation, the Syracuse City School District, and the City of Syracuse to undertake a “holistic revitalization” approach in the East Adams neighborhood on the city’s near south side.
Commissioner position
In announcing the NBD commissioner opening, the city said it is seeking a leader to “direct, advance, and manage” the work of the various divisions of the Department of Neighborhood and Business Development. They include neighborhood development, business development, code enforcement, fiscal, central permit office, and minority/women business enterprise compliance.
The NBD commissioner will be at the center of “major transformative” initiatives in Syracuse that are being “recognized nationally.”
In addition to Blueprint 15, they include the City of Syracuse’s designation as New York State’s flagship Smart City by the New York Power Authority; and Syracuse Surge, an “expansive strategy to create inclusive growth in the New Economy.”
The NBD commissioner oversees a group of 76 people within five divisions.
The department works to “preserve and enhance” Syracuse neighborhoods and commercial centers by administering federal, state, and local funding programs; encouraging residential development and economic growth; and leveraging resources to “create thriving” neighborhoods, communities, and business districts.
Aviation company to create 100 new jobs at Griffiss
ROME — Strategic Global Aviation plans to create at least 100 new jobs as it begins operations at Griffiss International Airport in Rome. The company has signed a 5-year, $1.96 million lease to occupy Building 101 at the county-owned airport that was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. announced on
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
ROME — Strategic Global Aviation plans to create at least 100 new jobs as it begins operations at Griffiss International Airport in Rome.
The company has signed a 5-year, $1.96 million lease to occupy Building 101 at the county-owned airport that was scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Jr. announced on Dec. 18.
The lease includes an option to renew the agreement for an additional five years at a cost of just over $2 million ($2,019,000).
Strategic Global Aviation will occupy 61,440 square feet of Hangar Bay 3 of Building 101, along with 5,500 square feet of office space in the administrative offices section and 29,538 square feet of back shop space in the building’s center core.
Strategic Global Aviation is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOB) formed in 2017. It performs aircraft maintenance, modification and inspection predominately to military aircraft, and also provides aviation consulting and management.
“Bringing aircraft maintenance and services back to the hangars at Rome is a huge win for Oneida County and is important to maintaining our workforce and facilities for the future,” Picente said in a statement. “The work Strategic Global Aviation performs is not limited to simply maintenance. It provides a range of services and specializes in exclusive contract work to modify military aircraft that truly sets it apart from others in the industry.”
Defense contract jobs
Once operational in early 2020, Strategic Global Aviation will begin work on a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense to modify C-130 aircraft.
The company will create 50 jobs in the first phase of this contract. It will then create another 50 jobs in the later work phases as additional contracts come online. The jobs will carry an average wage of $35 per hour, plus benefits.
The federal government has established goals to award at least 3 percent of all contracting dollars to SDVOBs each year. New York State has established its own goal of 6 percent of procurement expenditures to be made with SDVOBs by state agencies, public authorities and public-benefit corporations.
“The SDVOB program is important in that recognizes those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and sustained injuries associated with that service, and assists them in achieving the American dream they have selflessly volunteered to protect,” Picente added.
County energy work
Building 101 has been unoccupied since Premier Aviation closed in the summer of 2018. Oneida County recently assumed ownership of the building from the 394 Hangar Road Corp., and has implemented a $15.3 million energy “overhaul of multiple buildings” at Griffiss, including Buildings 101 and 100.
The project is converting the facilities from steam to natural gas in an effort to make operational costs more affordable.
“Transitioning from steam to natural gas has made these facilities a more attractive option to potential tenants, and was a key factor in securing a lease with Strategic Global Aviation in Building 101 as it significantly reduced what the cost of its utilities would be,” Picente said. “With the renovations in the hangars, the construction of the Open Innovation Campus and our growing work with drone companies, Griffiss International Airport is in the midst of a transformation. Strategic Global Aviation is another important part of our future success.”
New health-insurance mandates for mental health & addiction coverage take effect
Health insurers are facing new mandates for expanded insurance coverage for New Yorkers seeking treatment for mental-health conditions and addiction. In addition to new guidelines for insurers, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has issued a list of frequently asked questions to help New Yorkers understand their rights under these new requirements,
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Health insurers are facing new mandates for expanded insurance coverage for New Yorkers seeking treatment for mental-health conditions and addiction.
In addition to new guidelines for insurers, the New York State Department of Financial Services (DFS) has issued a list of frequently asked questions to help New Yorkers understand their rights under these new requirements, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 2020, the office of Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced.
“These new measures will help ensure people get the help they need and break down some of the most common barriers to treatment by limiting co-pays and educating consumers about the options available to them,” Cuomo said in a statement.
DFS issued guidance explaining insurers’ new responsibilities regarding New Yorkers seeking treatment for mental-health conditions and addiction. These mandates include improved consumer disclosures; limiting the amount of co-pays or coinsurance for outpatient mental-health treatment and treatment for addiction; expanding existing protections related to medical-necessity review of inpatient and outpatient treatment for addiction by health plans; and enacting new prohibitions on preauthorization requirements for certain inpatient mental-health treatment.
DFS also issued guidance advising insurers that they must cover costs associated with medically necessary peer-support services as part of outpatient addiction treatment programs authorized by the Office of Addiction Services and Supports.
Addiction mandates
New requirements related to addiction prohibit preauthorization or concurrent review during the first 28 days of an inpatient admission for addiction treatment and during the first four weeks of outpatient treatment for addiction treatment.
They also require policies that cover prescription drugs for addiction treatment to provide immediate access to such drugs without prior authorization.
In addition, the requirements prohibit large group policies from imposing co-pays or coinsurance that exceed those of a primary-care office visit for addiction treatment. They also limit co-pays to one co-pay per day for all services provided in a single day by addiction-treatment facilities.
Mental-health condition requirements
New mandates related to mental-health conditions have insurers and utilization-review agents using evidence-based and peer-reviewed clinical-review criteria appropriate to the patient’s age. The criteria is also approved by the commissioner of the Office of Mental Health in consultation with the commissioner of Health and the Superintendent of Financial Services.
The new requirements also prohibit insurers from imposing co-pays or coinsurance for outpatient mental-health treatment in authorized facilities that exceeds those of a primary care office visit.
They also prohibit preauthorization or concurrent review during the first 14 days of an inpatient admission for treatment of a mental-health condition for patients under age 18.
In addition, they ensure clinical peer reviewers have experience in delivering mental-health treatment.
Updating New York law
New requirements also update New York law to have insurers provide consumers the most recent comparative-analysis performed to assess the provision of covered services in accordance with the “Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008.”
DFS says it will be prepared to investigate insurers’ compliance with the new requirements, including market-conduct examinations.
Survey finds differences between HDHP, traditional health-plan enrollees
The percentage of the population with a high-deductible health-care plan (HDHP) has continued to rise, according to a new survey report. In 2019, 15 percent of privately insured adults had a plan that was associated with either a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or health savings account (HSA), collectively known as consumer directed health plans (CDHP).
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
The percentage of the population with a high-deductible health-care plan (HDHP) has continued to rise, according to a new survey report.
In 2019, 15 percent of privately insured adults had a plan that was associated with either a health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) or health savings account (HSA), collectively known as consumer directed health plans (CDHP). The figure is up from 14 percent in 2018 and 13 percent in 2017, per the survey data.
At the same time, another 13 percent had a high-deductible health plan that was not associated with either an HRA or HSA. That number is up from 11 percent in both 2018 and 2017.
The numbers come from the annual Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey (CEHCS). The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), a private, nonpartisan, nonprofit research group, and Greenwald & Associates, a full-service market research firm, released the survey report on Dec. 20. Both EBRI and Greenwald & Associates are based in Washington, D.C.
CEHCS is aimed at examining consumer engagement in health care and health-insurance decisions. Now in its 15th year, the annual CEHCS provides “reliable national data on the growth of consumer-driven health plans and high-deductible health plans and their impact on the behavior and attitudes of health care consumers,” according to EBRI.
HDHP vs traditional plans
When it comes to choice of health plan, most people focus on the network of health-care providers, easy access to health care, low out-of-pocket costs, prescription-drug coverage, low premiums, and simple to understand, and specific coverage included in the plan.
The provider network and access to health care were ranked higher in importance than lower cost of premiums or low out-of-pocket costs.
Generally, traditional health-plan enrollees and HDHP enrollees rank these aspects of health care in the same order, with one exception: Traditional plan enrollees report that low out-of-pocket costs for doctors’ visits are more important, EBRI said. Of lesser importance is low cost of premiums when selecting a plan. However, HDHP enrollees report that low premiums are more important than low out-of-pocket costs when selecting a plan.
“It is clear that HDHP enrollees value low premiums over low out-of-pocket costs, while traditional plan enrollees value low out-of-pocket costs over low premiums,” said Paul Fronstin, director of EBRI’s health research and education program and co-author of the report. “It is therefore not surprising that traditional plan and HDHP enrollees behave differently when it comes to their health care.”
Consumers enrolled in an HDHP were more likely than those with traditional health-insurance coverage to say that they had checked whether the plan would cover care or medication; checked the quality rating of a doctor or hospital before receiving care; checked the price of doctor’s visits, medication or other service before receiving care; talked to their doctors about other treatment options and costs; talked to their doctors about prescription options and costs; used an online cost-tracking tool provided by the health plan; and developed a budget to manage health care expenses; or declined a medical procedure because of costs.
In addition, when it comes to prescription-drug use, those in an HDHP were more likely than those with traditional coverage to have asked for a generic drug instead of a brand name or asked their doctor to recommend a less costly prescription drug.
Generational differences
Attitudes toward health care differ by generational cohort as well, the survey found. Baby Boomers were more likely than Generation Xers and Millennials to have a primary care provider.
Baby Boomers are much more likely than Millennials to strongly agree that they are comfortable telling their primary care provider about any health issue that they may have, that it is important that their doctor knows them and their medical history personally, that it’s important that their primary care provider is aware of all of the other medical care that they receive, and that they see their own primary care provider at every visit.
About the survey
The 2019 survey of 2,068 individuals was conducted online using Dynata/ResearchNow’s online research panel between Aug. 26 and Sept. 20, 2019. All respondents were between the ages of 21 and 64, EBRI said.
The national sample is weighted by gender, age, income, ethnicity, education, and region to reflect the actual proportions in the population. The CDHP and HDHP samples are weighted by gender, age, income, and ethnicity.
The survey was underwritten by Benefit Wallet, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, HealthEquity, Inc., National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, Prudential Financial (NYSE: PRU), and UMB Financial (NASDAQ: UMBF).
Most CNY unemployment rates rose in November
Regional jobs picture mixed in last year Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions rose in November compared to a year ago. At the same time, the jobless rate in the Ithaca area remained unchanged. The figures are part of the latest New York State Department
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Regional jobs picture mixed in last year
Unemployment rates in the Syracuse, Utica–Rome, Watertown–Fort Drum, Binghamton, and Elmira regions rose in November compared to a year ago.
At the same time, the jobless rate in the Ithaca area remained unchanged.
The figures are part of the latest New York State Department of Labor data released Dec. 24.
On the job-growth front, the Syracuse, Watertown–Fort Drum, and Ithaca regions gained jobs between November 2018 and this past November.
The Utica–Rome, Binghamton, and Elmira areas lost jobs in the same period.
That’s according to the latest monthly employment report that the New York State Department of Labor issued Dec. 19.
Regional unemployment rates
The jobless rate in the Syracuse area rose to 3.7 percent in November from 3.6 percent in November 2018.
The Utica–Rome region’s unemployment rate increased to 3.9 percent from 3.8 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum area rate went up to 5.5 percent from 4.9 percent; the Binghamton region’s rate rose to 4.0 percent from 3.8 percent; the Ithaca area’s rate stayed put at 3.0 percent; and the Elmira region’s jobless rate edged up to 3.7 percent from 3.6 percent in the same month a year ago.
The local-unemployment data isn’t seasonally adjusted, meaning the figures don’t reflect seasonal influences such as holiday hires.
The unemployment rates are calculated following procedures prescribed by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the state Labor Department said.
State unemployment rate
New York state’s unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in November, unchanged from October, but up from 3.9 percent in November 2018, the department said.
The 4 percent unemployment rate was higher than the U.S. jobless rate of 3.5 percent in November.
The federal government calculates New York’s unemployment rate partly based upon the results of a monthly telephone survey of 3,100 state households that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics conducts.
November jobs data
The Syracuse region gained 4,600 jobs in the last year, a 1.4 percent increase.
The Utica–Rome metro area lost 300 jobs, a decrease of 0.2 percent; the Watertown–Fort Drum region picked up 200 positions, an increase of 0.5 percent; the Binghamton area shed 500 jobs, a 0.5 percent drop; the Ithaca region gained 1,600 jobs, an increase of 2.4 percent; and the Elmira area lost 200 jobs, a decline of 0.5 percent.
New York state as a whole gained nearly 117,000 jobs, an increase of 1.2 percent, in the last 12 months. The state economy gained 15,400 jobs, a 0.2 percent rise, in the last month, the labor department said.
New York home sales slide 6 percent in November
CNY sales numbers were mixed ALBANY — New York realtors sold 10,522 previously owned homes in November, down 6 percent from the 11,190 homes that changed hands a year ago as the inventory of available homes fell. That’s according to the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)’s November housing-market report
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
CNY sales numbers were mixed
ALBANY — New York realtors sold 10,522 previously owned homes in November, down 6 percent from the 11,190 homes that changed hands a year ago as the inventory of available homes fell.
That’s according to the New York State Association of Realtors (NYSAR)’s November housing-market report issued Dec. 19.
Sales data
The inventory of homes for sale in the state totaled 64,221 homes in November, down 6.3 percent from 68,555 homes in November 2018.
The months’ supply of homes for sale at the end of November stood at 5.7 months, down 8 percent from 6.2 months a year ago, per NYSAR’s report. A 6 month to 6.5 month supply is considered to be a balanced market.
New listings fell 7.9 percent to 11,484 homes in November from 12,464 a year prior.
Pending sales totaled 9,329 homes in November, up 1.9 percent from 9,153 in November 2018.
The statewide median sales price rose 3.7 percent to $280,000 in November from $270,000 a year earlier, according to the NYSAR data.
Central New York numbers
Realtors in Onondaga County sold 432 previously owned homes in November, up 3.8 percent from 416 in the same month in 2018. The median sales price rose 1.9 percent to $152,500 from $149,700 a year prior, according to the NYSAR report.
NYSAR also reports that realtors sold 154 homes in Oneida County in November, down 4.3 percent from 161 homes sold in November 2018. The median sales price rose 3.3 percent to $130,190 from $126,000 a year ago.
Realtors in Broome County sold 131 existing homes in November, up 9.2 percent from 120 a year before, according to the NYSAR report. The median sales price decreased 2.4 percent to $120,936 from $123,968 in November 2018.
In Jefferson County, realtors closed on 115 homes in November, up 23.7 percent from 93 a year prior, and the median sales price of $159,395 was up 33.7 percent from $119,225 a year ago, according to the NYSAR data.
All home-sales data is compiled from multiple-listing services in New York state and it includes townhomes and condominiums in addition to existing single-family homes, according to NYSAR.
Green Light Law Puts New York in Conflict with Immigration Policies
On Dec. 16, the law allowing undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain a New York State driver’s license went into effect. The fact that this is now the law is a stunning reversal from 12 years ago when then- Gov. Elliot Spitzer proposed the measure. Some may recall, Spitzer dropped the proposal due to overwhelming opposition
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
On Dec. 16, the law allowing undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain a New York State driver’s license went into effect. The fact that this is now the law is a stunning reversal from 12 years ago when then-
Gov. Elliot Spitzer proposed the measure. Some may recall, Spitzer dropped the proposal due to overwhelming opposition to it from people across the political spectrum — including opposition from leaders in his own party such as Hillary Clinton.
While a large majority of New Yorkers still opposed the law in 2019, in June the New York City–dominated legislature along with Gov. Cuomo proceeded to pass the law despite substantial opposition from upstate legislators.
While many people oppose the law simply on the basis that people who break the law coming to America should not be rewarded with driving privileges, there are other substantive problems beyond just that. One is national security. In order for an undocumented immigrant to obtain a license in New York, he or she must show “proof of identity.” Proof of identity includes among other things: (1) an unexpired foreign passport from the applicant’s country of citizenship, or (2) a valid foreign driver’s license that includes a photo image of the applicant which is either unexpired or expired for less than 24 months. It is then up to the motor vehicle clerk to determine the validity of the proof of identity prior to issuing the license. While we have professional motor vehicle clerks in our state, it is unlikely that any of them are experts on foreign identification. How are they to judge the authenticity of a foreign passport or driver’s license? It is not a stretch to imagine someone who wants to do harm to our country being able to obtain official government identification like a New York driver’s license by exploiting this weakness in the system. Once obtaining the New York driver’s license, one could use it as identification to undertake any sort of nefarious deeds against our country.
Another legitimate concern about allowing undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses is that it could facilitate voter fraud. Currently, state law requires that an application for a driver’s license include a voter-registration application where an applicant simply has to affirm that he or she is a citizen of the United States. That voter registration is then sent to the county board of elections where the applicant is then registered to vote. When applying for a driver’s license, if inclined, an undocumented immigrant could simply affirm that he or she is an American citizen and then eventually be registered to vote. Moreover, once obtaining a driver’s license an undocumented immigrant, if inclined, could go to the board of elections and use the driver’s license as identification to register to vote. While it is true that by affirming that they are American citizens an undocumented immigrant would be breaking the law, it would be highly difficult, especially once they have obtained a driver’s license, for anyone to know their citizenship status or prove it otherwise, especially following an election.
This law also has a number of other problems such as imposition of obstacles on the investigatory powers of law enforcement and the infringement on federal authorities’ ability to enforce immigration laws. However, what might grind on people the most is the seemingly unfairness of the law. Every year, some 700,000 immigrants obtain legal citizenship while millions more are allowed legal entry into our country. By permitting undocumented immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses it is unfair to those who have legally gone through the process of naturalization. As a result, some might be less inclined to seek citizenship if they know they can get all the advantages of citizenship without having to bother with naturalization.
America is a nation of immigrants and we should be proud of our immigrant heritage. However, that doesn’t mean we, as a state, should try to confer privileges to anyone in the state regardless of their citizenship status. The idea of providing undocumented immigrants with driver’s licenses was a bad idea when Gov. Spitzer proposed it 12 years ago and it continues to be bad idea now that the state has adopted it.
William (Will) A. Barclay is the Republican representative of the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses most of Oswego County, including the cities of Oswego and Fulton, as well as the town of Lysander in Onondaga County and town of Ellisburg in Jefferson County. Contact him at barclaw@assembly.state.ny.us or (315) 598-5185.
Not long ago, I was in a meeting to talk about a public-policy issue. It was complex, and as we considered the various angles I thought about what it would take to translate talk into change on the ground. I wasn’t analyzing the politics of it — I was focused on the types of people
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Not long ago, I was in a meeting to talk about a public-policy issue. It was complex, and as we considered the various angles I thought about what it would take to translate talk into change on the ground. I wasn’t analyzing the politics of it — I was focused on the types of people who would have to roll up their sleeves.
What I came away with was a list of skills, none of them unusual, but all of them vital for getting things done in the increasingly complicated world that government faces. It was a long list, including everything from a legislative draftsman to lawyers and budget experts to subject-matter experts, engineers, businesspeople, and PR experts.
My point is that to make our system and this country work, we need experts and competent bureaucrats to deal with the problems that come cascading down on government. And here’s what I can tell you, after decades of close contact with federal civil servants: We have them. By and large, this country is served by an extremely professional and dedicated group of public employees.
Which is why I have never shared the contempt and outright hostility toward federal bureaucrats that is so often expressed in the public arena these days. They deal with very tough problems and they’re usually good at what they do. They just don’t toot their own horns about it.
This was on full display in the recent House Intelligence Committee hearings on impeachment. As New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote recently, “[T]he civil servant witnesses answering questions inspired a lot more confidence than the elected officials who were asking them.” He went on to quote political scientist Hugh Heclo, “It is when you deal with someone who does not perform in a ‘professional’ manner that you learn to appreciate those who do.”
This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some bad apples within the bureaucracy. There always are, but they’re rare. Attacking cabinet officials and civil-service employees publicly, the way President Trump seems to enjoy doing, seems counter-productive. These are, after all, the very people he has to depend on to move his programs forward.
In the face of the many challenges we confront, the professionalism, talent, and competence of our civil servants matter. We’ve been fortunate: many of them have withstood attacks on themselves and the systems they depend on for support. So far anyway.
Lee Hamilton, 88, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south central Indiana.
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.