New Yorkers think government causes more problems than it solves. That's the word from the pollsters at Siena who take the state's temperature on a regular basis.
This time around, they found that 64 percent of New Yorkers think government isn't helping the state's economy.
This news comes as the regional councils - the latest state government effort to do right by New York's economy - meet again across the state.
"We're not pefect. But we get better"
Lieutenant Governor Bob Duffy says that "region by region, people are starting to tell us what needs to change."
State policy's not explicitly on the agenda for the regional councils, as they try and come up with proposals for their regional economies. But Duffy says he's getting lots of feedback during his round-the-state tour to attend regional economic council meetings.
About the regional councils, Duffy says: "I always ... say we don't try and sell this as the answer to all our problems. It's not. But it's a start. It's a process ... One thing we can do as a government is ... each year we get a little better and better at what we do. We're not perfect. But we get better, and we listen. And we respond to issues."
Duffy was in Syracuse on Wednesday to confer with the public and private officials making plans for central New York. The co-chair of the central New York Council, Rob Simpson, who heads the business organization, CenterState CEO, says he's reaching out to businesses with a survey.
"One of the biggest questions we have out on the street right now is for businesses and individuals in this community to tell us what those impediments are. Tell us the specific regulations that are holding your business back. Tell us the specific taxes that are the most inhibitive of your growth."
Simpson will present the feedback he gets about government obstacles to business directly to the governor's office.
Fine-tuning a local vision
The regional council kicked off Wednesday's meeting by approving a vision statement for the central New York economy. But by November, the group will have to endorse a list of specific projects that it finds worthy of state funds.
Simpson says it's too early to know how many projects will fit the mold, but he says some ideas are rising to the top.
"We have a growing base of high-technology companies, entrepreneurs that are looking to grow here, but we don't have the capital to help them take that next step," says Simpson.
He says the council is looking to support a venture capital fund that would provide new companies with the "seed capital" they need to get off the ground.
But the region is racing against the clock to complete a full application for state funding - those documents are due on November 14.
