State Senator John J. Bonacic (R/I/C – Mt. Hope) called on Governor David Paterson to personally intervene to keep Kolmar Laboratories in Port Jervis. In a letter authored by Kolmar’s leadership, and overnight mailed to Bonacic’s office yesterday, Kolmar officials pointed out that New York has done a miserable job trying to keep them in the State.
Kolmar’s leadership pointed in particular to the issues surrounding the State’s Empire Zone program, and the changes made to the program this year under the Democrats who controlled State government during the budget process. Kolmar officials wrote that “cost increases specifically” relating to “operating a business in New York had significantly eroded” Kolmar’s ability to compete, adding that “the out-of-control rising costs in New York” will make it “impossible for” Kolmar “to compete and sustain operations.”
“Empire State Development is a miserable failure in terms of creating jobs. They have gone through Commissioner after Commissioner and demonstrated a complete absence of leadership. We need the Governor to step in here or we are going to lose 700 jobs. It would devastate Port Jervis and the Tri-State area,” Bonacic said.
Taxes have been raised substantially in New York for businesses in the Hudson Valley since Democrats took control of the State Government earlier this year. “Reducing Empire Zone benefits and instituting a new MTA tax are not a big deal to New York City where the State’s leadership lives but they are a very real issue here,” Bonacic said.
Bonacic also referenced the current Senate shut-down. “If the Senate was in Republican hands, the Empire Zone program would not have been gutted, the MTA tax on Orange County businesses would not have happened. Anyone who thinks the Senate stand-off is about titles or offices are dead wrong. There are real consequences to one-party, one-region control of State government and they are right in front of us with Kolmar’s threat to leave,” Bonacic said.
Bonacic has hand delivered a letter to the Governor today asking him to come to Port Jervis and personally intervene in this situation. “Governor Paterson is not a bad person. In fact, I believe he is a good person, with a good heart, and the desire to do the right thing. His effort to break the Senate stalemate, for instance has been, in my estimation, helpful. However, there are occasions when you can delegate work and occasions when you must lead personally. We cannot lose 700 jobs. We need the Governor to step over all his staff and come here and that was the purpose of my asking him personally to get involved. His agency staff is just not getting it done.”
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