What a difference a year makes.

That seems to be the message from Unshackle Upstate, a Rochester-based business group that’s spent the last five years lobbying for state-level reforms including a limit on local property tax increases, a more friendly business climate and reduced spending.

Now the group has released a “midterm” report assessing topics such as the SAGE commission, SUNY 2020 and natural gas development, also known as hydrofracking.

“When Unshackle Upstate was founded in 2006, the 2011 legislative session generated the type of results we had in mind,” said Andrew J. Rudnick, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership. “The property tax cap and a fiscally sound budget with no new or increased taxes and a reduction in spending are the outcomes taxpayers and employers have been fighting for. With the 2012 legislative session two short months away, Albany must focus on business and local government mandate relief and a continued effort to create private sector job growth.”

Gov. Andrew Cuomo has strong backing the business community, winning the first-ever endorsement from the Business Council, and later appointed the lobby’s president the head of the Empire State Development Corp. Cuomo, who has said he’s a “broke progressive,” closed a $10 billion budget deficit without raising taxes and is letting another surcharge on those making $200,000 or more a year to expire.

While that’s won plaudits from businesses (and the conservative New York Post editorial board), his traditional base seems to be growing a bit restless when it comes to taxing the wealthy.

2011uuprogressreport

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