My Job Creation Plan

The signs are all around us – Central and Upstate New York's economy has suffered greatly over the past two decades. Companies like General Electric, General Motors, Kodak, Chrysler, Carrier, Xerox, and Crouse Hinds are gone or are shadows of their former selves. These companies were the foundation of our economy. These were the companies that spawned other businesses. They formed the basis of communities and they kept families financially strong.

We can do better. This region has so much potential, starting with the people who make up our community. The region's quality of life is second to none, and it is home to some of the world's finest colleges and universities. Additionally, Central and Upstate New York have an abundance of natural resources that can be leveraged to be the engine of our new economy - if we have the courage to make decisions now to position ourselves to take advantage of these opportunities.


1. Control soaring energy costs through increased emphasis on green energy; making renewable fuels and high tech research an engine for job growth.
2. Create and retain jobs by giving tax breaks to companies for keeping jobs here; eliminate tax breaks for companies that move jobs overseas.
3. Capitalize on our knowledge resources by increasing university-industry cooperation to create new jobs.

Reduce Soaring Energy Costs and Creating Green Jobs to Revitalize our Economy
Today's soaring gas prices are the result of a failed energy policy – Democrats and Republicans alike must take responsibility for the current failures and move beyond them in order to create a better future for our children and grandchildren. To that end, we must break our addiction to oil and become energy independent, and that means making the decisions now to position ourselves to take advantage of the coming global changes.

Dan Maffei's plan takes away the power from huge multi-national oil corporations like ExxonMobil and puts it back into the hands of consumers. To do this, we must create a national roadmap to make us energy independent by 2020 while developing solutions to provide consumers with immediate relief at the pump. We must make a strong and bold statement that we are serious about breaking our addiction to foreign oil. If we begin to make serious investments in renewable fuels such as wind, solar, and hydropower in addition to using our oil and natural gas resources that are already available, world oil markets will have no choice but to adjust.

Instead of old ideas, let's start to think in a new direction to leverage our region's assets to create new green jobs. Dan Maffei supports companies such as the energy firm Iberdrola, which wants invest $2 billion over five years in our region to build and operate wind power turbines. We need to encourage this kind of investment, from foreign and domestic firms alike. Investment that brings quality jobs to the area and reduces our dependence on foreign fuel is innovative, forward looking and will lead our new economy.

o Tax oil windfall profits, and penalize companies that try to pass that fee onto consumers;
o Enforce "Use It or Lose It" legislation on oil companies that have millions of unused acres where they could already be drilling;
o Provide tax incentives to consumers who want to purchase energy efficient automobiles and appliances; and,
o End impediments and provide tax incentives to local businesses that want to supply green energy to their own facilities, by installing solar or wind generators.

Provide Tax Relief to Businesses to Retain Jobs and Create New Jobs
Currently, our tax code rewards companies that move jobs out of the country. Our tax code treats profits earned by foreign subsidiaries of American corporations differently, putting companies who want to create jobs in the United States at a competitive disadvantage. These foreign tax havens have allowed companies like ExxonMobil to rake in record profits (more than $42 billion last year alone) all the while sheltering $56 billion in earnings.

The Maffei plan would eliminate this inequity so companies who want to create jobs here are not at a competitive disadvantage.

o Work with Congress to re-write Empowerment Zones to make it work for Syracuse;
o Encourage legislation like the Patriot Employers Act which would provide a tax credit equal to 1% of taxable income to employers that invest in American jobs, by maintaining or increasing the number of full-time workers in America and maintaining corporate headquarters in America; and,
o Make capital available to small businesses and entrepreneurs to invest in regional growth.

Partnering with Universities to Create Jobs of the Future
By harnessing the talent our regional universities already produce, we can create quality job opportunities to combat the exodus of young people leaving our area. We need Government to partner with the existing institutions in Rochester and Syracuse that are already working to keep talented graduates in the area, because high end biomedical, technical and environmental jobs in manufacturing and research will be a major driver of our new economy.

We also need to pay off college debt for regional graduates who want to stay and serve our community. The cost of tuition has soared over the last ten years, and students need our help now more than ever. At Syracuse University alone, tuition increased 250% in a generation: from 1987-'88 to 2007-'08 tuition soared from $8,710 to $30,470.

o The Rochester Center for Excellence strives to produce talented math and science graduates. The Syracuse Center for Excellence focuses on collaborating between the private sector and research institutions. We need to continue to produce talented graduates AND focus on keeping a sizeable percentage of those graduates to stay in the area;
o Provide Federal assistance to Central Tech High School so we can produce qualified high school graduates to meet the demand for local vocational jobs; and,
o Forgive student loan debt for graduates who choose to stay in our region and enter into service professions, like nursing, teaching or social work.