Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Spitzer in Buffalo
Governor Eliot Spitzer named Daniel Gundersen to head up the Empire State Development Corporation, and acknowledging the plight of the upstate economy, said Gundersen will be headquartered in western New York.
The Governor was asked about Mayor Duffy's claim that Rochester gets less state aid on a per capita basis than does Buffalo.
"The Mayor of Rochester, Mayor Duffy, has a persuasive case to make. I've told him that. I've told the county executive Maggie Brooks that, with respect to Monroe County," said Gov. Eliot Spitzer. "There has been an unfair disadvantage that Rochester and Monroe County have suffered in terms of state aid. That has to be remedied and has to be addressed. We will do that in the state budget."
Early Monday morning, News 10 NBC caught up with Mayor Duffy before he left for Albany. Mayor Duffy claims, on a per capita basis, Buffalo gets about 34 million dollars more than does Rochester.
"One of the twists this year which I'm asking for is that we become a test site for Governor Spitzer. We want accountability. We want to have very clear specific goals that can be measured so when state aid is given to our city, it should be something where we are held accountable to produce results," said Robert Duffy, Rochester Mayor.
Buffalo's Mayor is former state Senator Byron Brown. He disagrees with Mayor Duffy. Brown says Buffalo does not get as much of the local sales tax from Erie County as Rochester does from Monroe County. "Buffalo gets less than other upstate cities in general when you look at sales tax distribution."
Rochester Mayor Duffy says the state will see a return on its investment in Rochester.
Another campaign promise Eliot is bringing to fruition...........andy
