Governor Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday delivering the 2013 State of the State.
ALBANY – “We have work do!”
That was the overall message from New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Wednesday as he delivered his annual State of the State address in Albany.
Calling it his most ambitious agenda since coming on board as governor in 2011, Cuomo said that while the state has been on the rebound in recent years, there is still much work left to do. The governor said both jobs and education are once again at the top of his list of issues to focus on. As part of that focus, he said he wants to work to make New York more competitive in keeping those who attend New York colleges and universities working in the state after graduation, along with making the ideas that are developed in New York part of future job creation.
To help make that a reality, the governor is calling for the creation of “innovation hotspots” throughout the state – which would serve as a high-tech incubator between higher education and the private sector for start up companies and would be tax free to help ensure the individuals involved with the start up would have an incentive to stay in New York.
Governor Cuomo said he also wants to focus more on job growth in New York state, saying that so far, upstate is lagging behind the state average and the national average in terms of job development. To help build the economy and jobs of Upstate New York, the governor called for improving marketing strategies that will help to bring more visitors into the region, as well as promote products that come from upstate.
In addition, the governor said he will focus on developing three new casinos in upstate New York, with 90 percent of the revenue going to education and 10 percent going to local tax relief. To get casinos up and running, the plan would first have to be approved on a statewide referendum in November.
While the governor focused on helping upstate New York improve its workforce development, he said nothing about assisting with mandate relief in many upstate municipalities. This is despite the ever increasing cost of Medicaid and the amount of money local governments are required to pay into the state pension system.
As for public education, the governor said the state needs to develop a plan that will keep students in school longer – whether it be to extend the school day or the school year or a combination of both, although it would be optional for all districts. He also said that he wants to expand Pre-K programming across the state as well as focus on developing schools that can better assist children in high-needs districts. As for teaching, the governor said the state needs to create a system similar to the New York State bar, where teachers would have to pass a state test and become “Master Teachers” before they can begin instructing students.
The governor also didn’t fail to bring up the delay in getting funding to those residents, businesses and communities affected Hurricane Sandy – noting that it was inexcusable to have the U.S. government not put the health and best interest of its citizens first.
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