Editorial Alliance Can Help NNY

The North Country Alliance's decision to become a voice for businesses to explain to state legislators and state officials what the North Country needs to improve our business climate is long overdue.

The Alliance was originally established as a regional economic development marketing agency.

Over the years, the group has seen how misguided state policies are making it even tougher to recruit businesses or to help existing businesses grow.

Too often, the unique needs of rural areas, especially in Northern New York, are forgotten by state officials when they dream up their economic development schemes.

Too often, they end up designed to benefit New York City and downstate areas that are not suffering from the kinds of problems that plague Northern New York.

Since New York City took control of both houses of the state legislature and the governor's mansion, the problems facing local economic development projects have worsened.

With New York City legislators and a New York city governor calling the shots, the state's so-called economic development programs have been largely gutted, turned into shells of the programs that once helped attract businesses to Northern New York.

It's time the region's business community made their voices heard.