For Release: Immediately March 27, 2007
Contact: Jeff Pirro (518) 455-5981

FINCH: SMALL BUSINESSES ARE A LARGE PART OF OUR ECONOMY
Legislation introduced today would ease burden on small businesses

      Assemblyman Gary D. Finch (R,C-Springport) today joined his Assembly Republican colleagues to advance key amendments that would ease the burden on small businesses. The first amendment would eliminate the Corporate Franchise and Personal Income taxes and the second was the Small Business Relief Act of 2007.

     “As a small business owner, I can attest to the hoops small businesses must jump through just to make it in New York. Many of our proposals today were derived from information we received directly from small business owners statewide,” said Finch. “This is smart, sound legislation that the Assembly Majority should support.”

     Finch and his Assembly Republican colleagues introduced the Small Business Relief Act, which would provide incentives for educational opportunities, tax credits to offset increases in energy costs, lower tax rates and significantly reduce bureaucracy in state economic programs.

     The second amendment called for the elimination of the Corporate Franchise Tax and Personal Income Tax for manufacturers, saving manufacturers millions each year. Finch noted that New York used to be a bulwark of manufacturing, and while 641,000 people are still employed in manufacturing, that number is down significantly from decades ago.

     Assembly Democrats voted down both amendments. In addition, Assembly Democrats held a bill in committee that would make it easier for small businesses to provide health insurance for their employees. This bill would have reduced health care costs for small businesses by an estimated 15 percent.

     “The Assembly Democrats need to get on board with us when it comes to alleviating the suffocating burdens placed on manufacturers and small businesses. There’s a reason we’ve been experiencing an exodus of jobs from this state,” said Finch. “Common sense should prevail, however those who protect the special interests and benefit from the status quo are preventing us from helping small business owners and manufacturers.”

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For Release: Immediately March 26, 2007
Contact: Jeff Pirro (518) 455-5981

FINCH: ‘BUDGET CLOCK’ COUNTS DOWN TO APRIL 1st
Renews call for passage of an on-time budget
 

     Assemblyman Gary D. Finch (R,C-Springport) joined members of the Assembly Republican conference to announce they are using their symbolic ‘budget countdown clock’ to urge state leaders to pass an on-time budget this year, as they have done for the past two consecutive years.

     “The ‘budget countdown clock’ is a symbolic reminder that time is running out for us to pass a fiscally sound, on-time budget and prevent our local governments and school districts from once more being in limbo regarding how much state aid they will receive,” said Finch. “It’s my hope the clock will encourage the Assembly Majority to come to the negotiating table and work towards preventing another late budget New Yorkers had come to expect prior to two years ago.”

     According to Finch, the disagreement over the governor’s health care cuts, property tax plan and backdoor tax increase on businesses are hindering agreement on the budget. Finch also thinks each of the budget proposals spends too much money.

     “With April 1st less than seven days away, there’s not much time left to settle our differences. We need to approach that date with a sense of urgency,” said Finch. “I hope the one thing that hasn’t changed since ‘Day One’, is our commitment to passing an on-time budget.”

     The Assemblyman is also calling for essential reforms that will guarantee a sound fiscal plan is adopted by the state on or before the deadline every year:

     • Require two-year education funding

     • Provide a plain language summary of the budget 48 hours prior to a vote;

     • Put the previous year’s budget in place no later than 72 hours after the start of the new fiscal year to ensure an      on-time budget;

     • Prohibit consideration of non-budget bills after April 1 until the budget is adopted
 

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