Are they jumping for joy relative to state government? Not yet (but) it’s a major improvement from a year ago.
(02/02/12) A new survey of upstate business leaders produced nearly identical results as last year's. But as the Innovation Trail's Zack Seward reports, one finding saw a major change: the opinion of state government.
At the end of 2010 a full 86 percent of
upstate business leaders said New York State was doing a poor job of creating a
friendly business climate.
By the end of 2011, the disapproval rate dropped more than 20 points.
“So they do feel as though the state government has made some progress.”
Don Levy is the director of the Siena College Research Institute.
“Are they jumping for joy relative to state government? Not yet because still
63 percent lack confidence in state government. But as you point out, it’s a
major improvement from where it was a year ago.”
For the fifth straight year, Levy and his Siena College pollsters were
commissioned by First Niagara Bank to take the pulse of more than 600 upstate
business leaders.
The top line findings on current and future economic conditions remained flat
compared to last year, with overall confidence actually falling by half a
percentage point.
While upstate CEOs gave state government a tepid endorsement, their view of
Washington did not improve.
Levy says their very small level of confidence in federal government eroded
even further.
St. Lawrence University, Canton,
New York 13617 • phone: 1-877-388-6277 • email
radio@ncpr.org
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