Brooklyn's Progress
April/May 2007

BY STEPHEN WITT

Brooklyn’s business interests were well-represented during the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce trip to Albany on Mar. 12 to lobby on behalf of borough businesses and to highlight Brooklyn’s economic and cultural importance to the state.

Timed to coincide with the state’s budget process, the trip allowed the 50 Members that attended to voice their legislative agenda in a more urgent manner to local and state lawmakers.

Another equally important reason behind the Chamber’s trip to Albany is the building of relationships with the borough’s elected assembly and senate delegation. Brooklyn Chamber Interim President Mark Kessler said this relationship remains strong both with individuals who have been in Albany for many years as well as with such new faces as Assembly Member Hakeem Jeffries and Senator Eric Adams.

 “Our meetings [with legislators] were very productive and we had a good exchange of ideas, and look forward to working with them,” added Mr. Kessler.

The mood carried over to the annual ‘Brooklyn Night in Albany’ reception held in the capital’s Egg Building, where nearly all of Brooklyn’s delegation showed up to chat informally and dine on Brooklyn fare donated by several borough restaurants, food and beverage manufacturers. 

A final aspect of the trip was a chance for Chamber Members to meet with other legislators from around the state. Mr. Kessler said meeting with other legislators works on two levels, the first being that it demonstrates to Albany officials the solid support between Brooklyn lawmakers and its business community.

“The other level is it’s important for us to interact with other legislators because many of our issues are the same issues for business communities throughout the state such as taxes, regulations and workman’s comp,” said Mr. Kessler.

To help fine tune their agenda, the Chamber was armed with the results of a survey issued to 1,400 Chamber Members last December that asked their views on the Brooklyn economy, New York City issues, education and workforce development, quality of life, and obstacles to growth.

More than 60% of respondents stated the biggest obstacle to business growth is the increased cost of health insurance, which suffered a blow in the form of the $1.3 billion in health care cuts in Governor Eliot Spitzer’s $120.6 billion budget plan. The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce pointed out healthcare is the largest industry in the borough, and if $500 million of the $1.3 billion statewide cut goes toward eliminating hospital funding in Brooklyn, it would result in a $51 million loss to Brooklyn hospitals and nursing homes.