News
September 29, 2017Letter: Reform Scaffold Law to boost state economy
Reporter Matthew Hamilton’s article, “Reformers take aim at Scaffold Law,” Sept. 9, touched upon an issue of great importance not only to the Capital Region Chamber, but to all New York state taxpayers.
Hamilton clearly delineates the positions of those supporting the reform effort as well as those opposed to it. However, there are several points that I believe are critical to understanding the gravity of this issue and require a closer look.
New York’s Scaffold Law comes with a hefty price tag: almost $800 million for taxpayers and $1.49 billion for private businesses annually. Employers, contractors and property owners are not the only ones impacted by this law. Local governments, school districts and taxpayers face higher costs and tax bills than their counterparts in other states due to our New York’s one-of-a-kind absolute liability Scaffold Law.
The law’s associated costs are crushing and cannot be ignored. Reform is a necessity if we are going to make New York truly competitive. Gov. Andrew Cuomo should give serious consideration to including Assemblyman John McDonald’s proposal to reform the Scaffold Law within his executive budget proposal. By doing so, the governor can reduce the burden on our taxpayers, spur economic development and job growth and make New York state more open to business.
I agree with McDonald, D-Cohoes, that the fight for reform has been an uphill battle. However, I believe that if the governor engages on this issue, we can overcome those special interests that have long profited from the existing law and finally adopt a reform proposal that puts the taxpayer first, provides relief to job creators and maintains worker safety.
Mark N. Eagan
Chief Executive Officer
Capital Region Chamber
Albany
The article can be seen on the Times Union’s website.
