CenterState CEO recently gained some national recognition (www.brookings.edu/blogs/the-avenue/posts/2016/02/04-economic-development-in-upstate-new-york-liu) for going beyond the traditional scope of work for an economic-development organization and chamber of commerce to more robustly and visibly address the issues of poverty and economic disparity. 

Through our new Economic Inclusion Portfolio (www.centerstateceo.com/core-focus-areas/economic-inclusion), we are making a long-term, organization-wide commitment to ensuring that our strategies are inclusive of those who are frequently disconnected from growth. 

Why is CenterCtate CEO taking this approach? Beyond the moral imperative, it’s good for business and our local economy. In addition to the threats that poverty poses — an increased demand for social services, spikes in crime, and increased blight in our neighborhoods — poverty also creates significant inefficiencies within our regional marketplace by squandering opportunities to connect to and leverage talent. 

Recently, our Work Train team, along with several community partners, hosted a listening and networking session for about 70 refugees who were health-care professionals — mostly physicians — in their home countries. These are a fraction of the hundreds of individuals who have come to Syracuse with valuable skills, but often find themselves under or unemployed. Meanwhile our health-care industry often struggles to find experienced clinical professionals, especially those who can work in diverse settings. This is one challenge Work Train and its partners will tackle by helping place people in quality jobs or on career pathways while addressing workforce gaps to ultimately strengthen businesses in our community. It’s a great illustration of the opportunity we have as a community to tap into hidden assets.

As an organization, CenterState CEO recognizes that we must develop economic solutions in order to change the conditions that foster poverty and economic disparity in our region. We recognize this job isn’t for any one organization. However, I am proud to say that CenterState CEO is at the table on these issues for the long haul. 

I encourage our members and partners to learn more about these efforts by contacting Dominic Robinson, VP of economic inclusion, at drobinson@centerstateceo.com.

Robert M. (Rob) Simpson is president and CEO of CenterState CEO, the primary economic-development organization for Central New York. This editorial is drawn and edited from the “CEO FOCUS” email newsletter that the organization sent to members on Feb. 11.

A shocking revelation was made at a recent joint state legislative budget hearing on public safety as Margaret Miller, head of the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), testified that her office was working on three proposals for the ammunitions database that was initially outlined in the governor’s misguided SAFE Act. 

This was a shock, as a formalized and very public agreement was made between the governor and Senate through a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last year stating that the efforts to develop an ammunition database in the Empire State would be suspended. 

An ammunitions database, as the governor intended, would require sporting-goods retailers to do background checks on individuals purchasing ammunition and report the quantity of ammunition that an individual buys. At its core, the system would unfairly have the government target and profile those who have committed no crimes. It’s not unusual for those who engage in shooting sports and those practicing at gun ranges to go through many bullets. We, as shooting enthusiasts, understand this fact. The implications and even the practical details of how this database would operate left way too many unanswered questions. This idea does not sit well with many people across the state. 

Governor Cuomo’s ill-advised, reactionary gun-grab law was not only an assault on our constitutional freedoms, but if implemented, it would cost taxpayers millions of dollars. In the 2013-14 budget, the governor pushed through a $27 million allocation for the implementation of his SAFE Act, especially building the pistol-permit database and the ammunitions database. I have voted against all funding for the SAFE Act. 

We have no formal estimates about how much the ammunitions database would cost taxpayers. Considering the depth and scope of what the governor wanted it to accomplish, and taking into account the limitations of broadband technology throughout the state, it’s just not a feasible system, and the costs would be staggering. To build, maintain and make the database, accessible 24-7, could easily cost well above the $27 million needed for the technology and manpower a database like this would require. The MOU explicitly recognized these challenges and cited them as reasons to abandon its development.

So when the head of ITS, who is subject to the governor’s direction, testified that three proposals were developed for the database, it was a total slap in the face to the people of this state. It is not known how many hours and dollars were wasted developing these proposals. 

When the governor and his agencies take actions like this, his word to the people is essentially useless and without value. This is a governor who speaks out of both sides of his mouth, and his actions are out of step with the values of the people he is supposed to serve. Signing the MOU and working on the ammunitions database anyway, and then to tell anti-Second Amendment special interest groups that the database is being worked on, shows that the governor never had any intention of keeping his word on the MOU.

It is evident that we in the New York Legislature need to continue to push for a full repeal of the governor’s law. I proudly sponsor several of these efforts. I will continue to vote against any funding the governor or anti-gun special interests might try to push through during budget negotiations. 

Marc W. Butler (R,C,I–Newport) is a New York State Assemblyman for the 118th District, which encompasses parts of Oneida, Herkimer, and St. Lawrence counties, as well as all of Hamilton and Fulton counties. Contact him at butlerm@assembly.state.ny.us