Albany (August
6, 2014) – The National Federation of Independent Business
(NFIB), which represents 10,000 small business owners in New York, today
urged the Cuomo administration to apply billions of dollars from insurance
companies to infrastructure projects, including the Tappan Zee Bridge, rather
than new programs that get more expensive every year.
“Small
business owners travel the Thruway and so do their suppliers and customers,”
said NFIB New York State Director Mike
Durant. “The future of the economy
depends on improving our infrastructure that that’s the smartest way to spend
the money.”
Durant said
the unexpected money, which could exceed $4 billion, will likely cause a
feeding frenzy in Albany, with interest groups coming out of the woodwork for a
piece of the action.
“This can’t
be just another pot of money for the politicians in Albany to spend on their
favorite projects,” he said. “The
Thruway project is hugely expensive and everyone anticipates that it will
trigger very painful toll increases.
“Small
businesses and middle class New Yorkers need a break, and the best way to
invest that money is to reduce the long-term cost of the bridge project, reduce
the need to borrow money for other projects, and reduce future tax and toll
increases.”
For more
information about NFIB, please visit www.nfib.com.
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