Brooklyn's Progress
April/May 2008

BY STEPHEN WITT

The 2008 Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce's annual lobbying trip to Albany came with a major shock.

Just a few hours after Chamber Members began visiting the borough's elected delegation in the Assembly and Senate, word spread of Gov. Eliot Spitzer being implicated in a prostitution ring.

The incident became the talk at the Chamber's annual Brooklyn Night celebration in the capital's Egg Building, but did not derail their main mission of pushing forth an aggressive list of items worth pursuing from a business viewpoint.

"I think it was a very successful trip. We were able to meet with the entire delegation from both the Senate and Assembly, and with the state comptroller," said Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Carl Hum.
"We were able to articulate our agenda for growth, and all the legislators were very receptive to our agenda," he added.

This agenda came from a six-part survey sent out to the Chamber's 1,500 Members looking at the Brooklyn economy, city issues and projects, education and workforce development, health care, quality of life  and obstacles to growth as well as other issues important to constituent businesses.

In the survey, Chamber Members were asked to rank the top obstacles to business growth. Fuel or energy costs topped this list, followed by the increased cost of health insurance and the cost of liability insurance.

These same issues also topped the annual survey ­– although not in that order –­ for the past four years.

Other issues listed as obstacles to growth included traffic/transportation and the rising cost of real estate.

In regard to energy, Chamber Members supported the reenactment of Article X, which provides measures to coordinate efforts of state agencies to provide a complete, timely and balanced review of applications to construct new generating capacity.

Additionally, the Chamber urged lawmakers to enact legislation that gives incentives to businesses that use or produce renewable and/or alternative forms of energy.

In regard to health care, the Chamber advocated for medical malpractice insurance reform, stating that the costs of skyrocketing malpractice insurance is driving doctors out of the state.

The Chamber supported regulatory checks and balances that would help keep premiums at a manageable level for employers and the insured.

The Chamber also advocated for the expansion of access to health insurance for small businesses and low-income workers through such programs as Healthy NY and Brooklyn HealthWorks.

In addition, the Chamber also came expressing support for various projects and initiatives already under development in the borough and around the city.

Reflecting on the lobbying trip, his first since taking over the Chamber late last year, Mr. Hum said the Chamber has to continue to focus energy outside Downtown Brooklyn and concentrate on being a boroughwide organization.

"The Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce looks forward to working with Governor Paterson to advance our borough's agenda," said Mr. Hum.

"It is evident that Governor Paterson understands challenges of the Brooklyn business community as evidenced by his work to increase opportunities for minority and women-owned enterprises.  The Chamber wishes Governor Paterson great success in this new endeavor," he said.