Bonacic hails ‘State of State’ message

ALBANY — On January 3, State Senator John J. Bonacic (R/C - Mt. Hope), hailed Governor Pataki’s call for a new Empire Zone in the Catskills and praised other new Pataki initiatives. During his annual State of the State address, the Governor said that he believed a new Empire Zone should be designated over the next few months in the Catskills. The new Empire Zone will be designated under legislation sponsored by Bonacic and Senator James Seward.

“When I participated in writing the legislation to create additional Empire Zones, I wrote it with Sullivan County in mind,” Bonacic said. “Today’s call by the Governor for a new zone in the Catskills makes me optimistic that we will soon see one in Sullivan County.”

“The potential for Kohls to create 900 jobs, the new performing arts center and the planned investment in the Concord, all are positive signs for Sullivan County. The Governor’s call today for an Empire Zone in the Catskills, and my long-stated desire for one in Sullivan County, will help those efforts, and lead to an improved quality of life for County residents.”

The Senator also praised Pataki’s call for the state to reimburse municipalities for lost property tax revenue when landowners enroll land in the state’s forest tax program. “Today’s call by the Governor to compensate municipalities for revenue that is lost under the State’s forest tax program will help local governments throughout our region deal with the serious problem of tax-exempt lands,” Bonacic said.

Bonacic also praised other elements of the Governor’s speech, including Pataki’s call for a reduction of the corporate franchise tax and the phase out of the alternative minimum tax. He also indicated his support for the Governor’s call for more workforce training funds and for increased brownfield (environmental contamination sites) remediation efforts.

As part of the State of the State address, Pataki called for extending Empire Zone benefits to some brownfields and for the development of a tax credit to help businesses that redevelop the contaminated sites. Since the start of his first term in the Senate, Bonacic has worked with industry leaders, housing officials and environmentalists to develop new ways to put brownfields tack to productive use. Those efforts have led to the introduction of comprehensive legislation and an increased focus on brownfields at the state level.

“For over a year, Senator Carl Marcellino (Chairman of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee) and I have worked with a broad coalition to make brownfield cleanup a priority. Today’s proposal by the Governor is a clear recognition of his leadership in environmental conservation and an example of how business and those in the environmental community can work together to address this pressing problem,” the Senator said.

Bonacic stated he believed that the legislature should continue to focus this session on education, healthcare and housing. “I look forward to working with my constituents, the Governor and my colleagues in the legislature to address critical issues that most affect the people of our senate district and the state,” Bonacic said.