It’s yet another state report that reaffirms the economic divide between upstate and downstate, and how each region should be treated separately.
Private sector jobs up 35,500 down state, down 9,100 upstate. That is the sad truth of the fact that we are loosing and in reverse. Time to slam on the brake and get one economic development czar here, right here in upstate…….. We are after all the step child so Paterson will ignore us, should we be surprised? No… we have gotten use to their lies and our politicians are no help whatsoever.
If Gov. Paterson needed another reason to reverse his position on upstate economic development, he has it now. It’s yet another state report that reaffirms the economic divide between upstate and downstate, and how each region should be treated separately.
As any upstater knows, the economic outlook here is not bright. It hasn’t been for some time. And now comes the latest report from the state Labor Department to drive that point home. Last month, downstate gained 35,500 private sector jobs, while the rest of the state did not fare as well. When upstate was factored in, the number of private sector jobs in the state fell by 9,100. It’s the third month in a row that the overall job total has fallen.
That bodes ill for upstate, but Gov. Paterson continues to push ahead with plans to place responsibility for economic development under one person, rather than a top-level separate director for downstate and upstate, as envisioned by former Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
Without a separate, autonomous advocate for upstate development, the future of upstate, already dim by a steady erosion of jobs and population, will likely become even more dismal.
Granted, downstate may not be doing all that well either, despite the April job numbers. It will take time before the full extent of the subprime mortgage meltdown can be assessed, along with its impact on Wall Street. But the financial sector is accustomed to ups and downs and it could well rebound in coming months. Yet one thing remains constant: No matter how downstate fares, upstate continues to struggle, with no quick turnaround in sight.
Mr. Spitzer was not exaggerating when he once described upstate as Appalachia. The grim fact is that, in economic terms, Appalachia is actually outpacing upstate New York. Mr. Spitzer had the right solution in appointing separate chairmen to oversee upstate and downstate growth. Mr. Paterson has now placed that solution in jeopardy with his plan to put both of these positions under the authority of a single new statewide economic czar.
It’s also a strange position for Mr. Paterson to take, given his emphasis on finding savings wherever he can in the face of looming budget deficits. Why add another layer of bureaucracy when the state’s fiscal condition calls out for streamlining government? And why place obstacles in the way of upstate growth, when that growth can generate the very revenue New York needs so desperately?
