Albany, NY, Mar 14, 2012 — Public worker unions have gone on the offensive against Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed new pension tier, invoking class warfare. Meanwhile the governor is warning that if there's no resolution, thousands of local government employees will be laid off.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Feb 15, 2012 — Ask just about any politician these days, and he'll likely tell you that a big part of his job is to create jobs. So how does the government do that? Here in New York, Industrial Development Agencies are one of main job creation mechanisms for local communities.

The Innovation Trail's Marie Cusick explains how these obscure economic development tools work, and just how much it can cost taxpayers when they don't work.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Jan 31, 2012 — The leading Democrat in New York's Assembly is pushing to increase the state's minimum wage.

Speaker Sheldon Silver says it's "absurd" to think that anyone can make a living on the current amount, $7.25 an hour. He wants the minimum to go up to $8.50.

Silver had dozens of colleagues from his Democrat-controlled chamber behind him when he announced his bill yesterday.

The speaker says the minimum wage in New York has risen 10 cents in the last six years and increasing it is "a matter of human dignity".  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Jan 04, 2012 — The governor's State of the State address was notably high-energy, and he laid out a lot of proposals that will be playing out over the coming months. Brian Mann is a keen Albany watcher, and he joined Nora Flaherty on the line to talk about the speech and how it might affect the discussion here in the North Country.  Go to full article

Elizabethtown, NY, Dec 29, 2011 — An attempt by one Essex County lawmaker to save 10 positions eliminated in the adopted 2012 budget failed narrowly earlier this week. According to County Manager Dan Palmer, Chesterfield Supervisor Gerald Morrow moved to have the jobs restored.  Go to full article

Niagara Falls, ON, Aug 11, 2011 — Employment numbers aren't good in western New York. But the Seneca Nation is bucking the trend. The Nation is working fast to fill jobs, especially those calling for highly-skilled workers.

There are enough jobs that the Senecas are looking outside of their own community to fill those positions. Case in point: Seneca Niagara Casino. The Innovation Trail's Daniel Robison reports.

Support for the Innovation Trail comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The Innovation Trail is a collaboration between five upstate public media outlets, reporting about New York's innovation economy.  Go to full article

Staten Island, NY, Jul 04, 2011 — The Newton Falls Fine Paper company will not reopen in October, according to a release the company sent to the St. Lawrence County Industrial Development agency.

The Company, in the Adirondack town of Clifton, laid off about eighty employees last December with hopes they'd be hired back this fall.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Jul 01, 2011 — The North Country is breathing a sigh of relief today after Governor Andrew Cuomo announced that none of the state prisons slated for closure will be in our region.

State officials say a total of seven prisons will close over the next year under a downsizing plan released yesterday. The closures hit nearly every part of the state except the North Country, where correctional facilities are a crucial part of the economy.

Martha Foley has more.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Jul 01, 2011 — Layoffs remain on the table for one major state worker union, after the Public Employees Federation failed to reach an agreement with the Cuomo Administration on a contract.  Go to full article

Albany, NY, Jun 13, 2011 — State worker unions are decrying Governor Cuomo's plan to begin laying off nearly 10,000 state employees as early as next month. It was a week of bad news for unions, as governor Cuomo released a plan to restrict future pensions, and quietly announced the closing down of some state facilities. Karen DeWitt reports.  Go to full article