“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” —Martin Luther King Jr. Let’s face reality: It is pretty easy to be ...
Read More »Support for business owners facing COVID-19 challenges
Business owners: Over the last few weeks, you have faced many difficult decisions and undoubtedly, there will be more in the weeks and months to come. You already know that owning a business and being responsible for the welfare and ...
Read More »Coronavirus is the latest test of character
As I write this, much of the country is on lock-down due to the coronavirus. Schools, bars and restaurants are empty; people not in essential services are staying home and avoiding even small gatherings; the stock market has lost over ...
Read More »We need to reduce the great dependence of supply chains on China 
In a noteworthy article in the New York Times Magazine in 1970, the prominent economist Milton Friedman argued that the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits. Even though many would now disagree with this contention, there is ...
Read More »State has opportunity to accelerate renewable energy growth 
A large majority of New Yorkers are now concerned about climate change and believe it is a crisis requiring urgent action. CEOs, for example, are beginning to take note and take action. Over just the last few months, some of the ...
Read More »The ban on plastic bags: From explorer shoppers to snipers 
March 1 is just around the corner and by that time the ban on carryout plastic bags will go into effect in New York State. Some of the major local businesses, such as Wegmans, took steps ahead of time to ...
Read More »Comprehensive education reform requires parent leadership 
Over the last month, I have had the opportunity to hear from parents across Rochester. These parent voices are unified in one very clear way—keep the conversation focused on what is best for our children. The voices, from a group ...
Read More »We need to bolster antitrust enforcement 
Form a historical standpoint, there is no gainsaying the fact that the United States has been a salient promoter of antitrust laws and institutions. Beginning with the Sherman Act in 1890 and then ending in 1914 with the Clayton and ...
Read More »Building an upstate workforce for the next generation
Recently, a new economic review and plan was completed by the Boston Consulting Group. This report showed our region lags behind our peers in almost all economic terms. The bottom line is we need economic growth for Rochester to remain ...
Read More »T-Mobile/Sprint merger means new jobs for New York 
Nearly two years ago, T-Mobile and Sprint announced plans to join forces and bring more competition to the wireless industry. Two federal agencies and dozens of state regulators, including New York’s Public Service Commission, have already acted favorably on the ...
Read More »The onslaught of robots: Is it real and what should we do? 
We live in an era in which books like the “Rise of the Robots” by Martin Ford, studies by prominent think-tanks such as the Brookings Institution, and a variety of media stories all seem to be telling us that robots ...
Read More »New York needs New T-Mobile to reach communities across the digital divide
Nearly 20 years ago, President Bill Clinton said, “Together we have the power to determine exactly what we want the Internet to become. And what we want it to do is to be an instrument of empowerment, education, enlightenment, and ...
Read More »6 big innovations that could change Rochester’s economy 
Last month, our organizations—NYSTAR and FuzeHub—hosted the New York State Innovation Summit in downtown Rochester. More than 500 New Yorkers gathered together to immerse themselves in the state’s innovation ecosystem. This eye-opening event gave us an early look at the ...
Read More »Let’s heat up the Rochester labor market 
The good news: New York has one of the largest and most robust workforces in the country. The bad: Low-wage jobs dominate the labor market. Of the occupations that make up over 1.7 million jobs, 90% of them pay less ...
Read More »The economics of China’s belt and road initiative: Rhetoric and reality 
In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced the creation of two major infrastructure projects called the “Silk Road Economic Belt” and the “21st Century Maritime Silk Road.” These two projects have since been merged to create the “Belt and Road ...
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