Andrew M. Cuomo began his second year as governor Wednesday with his second annual State of the State address. The big news was one billion dollars in economic development funding slated to come to the Buffalo area. State officials said that the money will be targeted at the city, but that other municipalities could also be involved. Reaction from New York lawmakers was swift. State Senator Tim Kennedy said, “In outlining his vision for the year ahead, Governor Cuomo reiterated his commitment to work with our region’s leaders to spark economic growth in Buffalo and Western New York. The state’s $1 billion dollar investment will help put Western New Yorkers to work and significantly strengthen our regional economy.” U.S. Representative Kathy Hochul praised the announcement: “This is incredible news for the Buffalo-Niagara region and all of Western New York. Bringing one billion dollars to this region for economic development will not only be a game changer for my district, but for the entire region.”
