Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy Responds to Governor Hochul’s 2022 State of the State Address
Rochester, NY (January 5, 2022) Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Bob Duffy offered the following statement in response to Governor Hochul’s 2022 State of the State Address:
“Governor Hochul offered an optimistic and encouraging message for the year ahead, even as COVID19 continues to wreak havoc on businesses and communities in our region and far beyond. Now is the time to put words into action, and Greater Rochester Chamber supports the Governor’s efforts to do that.
If we hope to revitalize our regional economy, we need to reduce taxes and mandates, encourage outside investment by incentivizing companies and individuals to come to New York, resolve the workforce shortages being faced by nearly every sector of our economy, eliminate the red tape and bureaucracy that impede business and local government from succeeding, and promote corporate social responsibility and sustainable business practices that will keep New York safe and relevant.
I applaud the proposed income and property tax cuts for the middle class that will help combat the current state of inflation. Expanding access to affordable childcare, investing one billion dollars into small businesses, and offering tax credits to cover COVID-related purchases will help to jumpstart our economy and offer respite to the thousands of businesses who have struggled these last two years.
By far the most common issue we hear from business leaders is access to qualified talent. Up-skilling and re-skilling existing workers, partnering with school districts and higher education institutions to ensure that their curricula meet the current needs, and offering incentives to recruit and retain existing workers will prove beneficial in combatting our workforce shortages. Greater Rochester Chamber is proud to be the regional lead for talent strategy and workforce development, and we offer our full support to Governor Hochul’s efforts around workforce training.
I have faith in Governor Hochul’s ability to accomplish the goals she set out, and stand ready to help her administration make New York better and stronger than ever.”