Syracuse's economic development agency, CenterState Corporation, has picked up $2 million for its "Grants for Growth" program, through the state budget. Teri Weaver reports at the Post-Standard that the funds will be used to provide up to $75,000 in matching grants for businesses that want to grow in central New York:
“We’ve really built a pipeline of companies that are eager to engage,” CenterState’s president, Robert Simpson, said Monday. “We’ve built supports to help them open the door to find resources they need within higher ed.” Simpson said CenterState modeled the program on similar policies in Canada and at the National Institutes of Health. The 35 companies who’ve won grants have invested $4.2 million of their own money, created 62 full-time jobs and obtained 38 patents, he said. To date, the state has given CenterState $2 million toward the program.
Paladino v. the Senecas
Rabble rousing former gubernatorial candidate Carl Paladino is calling for a tax day protest, reports Mark Scheer at the Niagara Gazette. Paladino wants the city of Nigara Falls to block access to the Seneca Nation casino, to make a statement about payments the Senecas haven't submitted to the state:
Paladino suggested state economic development officials “sold a bill of goods” to Niagara Falls years ago when they agreed to provide the Senecas 50 acres of tax-free land for casino development in the city. Paladino suggested the move created an “Atlantic City trap” in the downtown area, whereby the Senecas control the bulk of the retail and restaurant market. The tax payments, he said, were supposed to make up for the community’s losses.
Winery row
Wineries that charge they were "frozen out" by retailers because of their support of a wine-in-grocery-stores bill say the state isn't following up on their complaints. The Democrat and Chronicle reports that the wineries want an anti-trust probe:
"They called us and said there wasn't enough evidence," said Doug Miles, of Miles Wine Cellars in Himrod, Yates County. "There were a lot of wineries that sent in information about strong-arming to the AG's office." Liquor store representatives said the inquiry ended because there was nothing to find. They called the winery owners' complaints "sour grapes."
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