Business advocate disputes New York’s ‘rosy’ economic forecast
Tells Merchants of Third Ave. times are still tough
Take one at the new television commercial touting New York State’s positive business climate, a spot that boasts about corporations moving here that don’t have to pay taxes for 10 years and you’ll think the economy is on the upswing, said Mike Durant, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business.
“The commercial says, ‘It’s a new New York.’ And ‘New York is open for business.’ It’s not true,” Durant bluntly told members of the Merchants of Third Avenue in Bay Ridge on Tuesday.
Durant, whose organization represents 350,000 small business owners across the country, including 11,000 in New York State, was the guest speaker at the monthly meeting of the Merchants, a group that looks out for the interests of more than 200 store owners on the avenue between 69th and 94th streets. Durant’s speech was part of a special program sponsored by Merchants member Patrick Gilbride, a financial advisor with Edward Jones.
Durant disputed contentions by Governor Andrew Cuomo and others that things are improving for business owners in the state. He pointed to the commercial as an example, saying that the state’s economic incentive policy is aimed at luring businesses to move to the state from elsewhere. “It favors companies that are new to New York. It does nothing for the hardworking small business owner who’s already here and who’s struggling to stay in business,” he said.