Statement on Comptroller's Industrial Development Agencies Report

Sen. Krueger issued the following statement in reaction to State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli's report on industrial development agencies (IDAs) earlier today.

"Every taxpayer should thank Comptroller DiNapoli for this latest report, which provides yet more evidence that New York State is wasting state taxpayers' money on tax credit giveaway deals for special interests that cost the rest of us hundreds of millions of dollars annually, and accomplish nearly nothing for public policy or economic development.

"Just today I met with farmers desperate for funding to preserve farmland in the Hudson Valley, who argued that 100 million per year could be a complete game changer for our state's agricultural future, and I heard testimony from environmental and medical experts explaining that our Department of Environmental Conservation somehow doesn't have the staff to ensure our environmental laws are being followed. It's only quarter after three -- I'm sure by five o'clock I'll have heard another sad example of how our state and local governments have to 'do more with less' because New Yorkers' tax dollars are being diverted into sweetheart deals instead of the services they're supposed to pay for.

"When is our state going to realize that unjustified tax giveaway deals and inequitable tax policy are two of the primary reasons why we are not able to accomplish our bigger goals and why we still fail to fulfill our most critical obligations?"