Danielle Brody, Westchester County Business Journal
County executives from Westchester, Putnam and Rockland agree that state government often impedes progress, pointing to the State Environmental Quality Review Act as a prime example.
Westchester County Executive Robert Astorino said the environmental law needs to be overhauled because the restrictive review delays new projects. SEQRA requires the approving governmental […]
February 2015
Since the Great Recession, economic development has dominated statewide priorities. Now, it is education’s turn. What a great opportunity. Yet, while improving education seems like something everyone can get behind, the issue is as divisive as ever.
No matter how the statistics are framed, there are […]
December 2014 For the Times Herald-Record
In government, you seldom get to make a real wish list.
Yet New York state right now is contemplating what to do with a multi-billion-dollar surplus. So far, Governor Cuomo has made it clear that it should be spent on a one-time cost, so that the establishment of a new […]
November 6, 2014
By Jonathan Drapkin / For the Times Herald-Record
When you think of work force development, you probably wouldn’t think of 9th-graders. But you should.
The Pattern staff recently had an opportunity to visit the inaugural class of the P-Tech program at Newburgh Free Academy. If you want hope for the City of Newburgh, the Hudson […]
September 15, 2014
By Jonathan Drapkin / For The Times Herald-Record
Hudson Valley Pattern for Progress recently completed an eight-month study on the region’s aging population and the readiness of the region’s health-care institutions and stakeholders to address it.
We were aided by an incredible group of committed health-care professionals who helped shape the focus of the study.
Observations […]
July 21, 2014
By Jonathan Drapkin / For the Times Herald-Record
Where are we going as a region? As Pattern for Progress approaches its 50th anniversary, we’ll be asking this question a lot and looking to many sources for answers.
What we find may not please everyone. We expect that. Yet, to not challenge the Hudson Valley to […]
April 9, 2014
By Jonathan Drapkin / For the Times Herald-Record
One of the most highly reported numbers about the state of the economy has always been the unemployment rate.
It is the gold standard of economic measures. Or maybe I should say “was.” For some very legitimate reasons, the use of the unemployment rate to take the […]
January 16, 2014
By Jonathan Drapkin / For the Times Herald-Record
Even as we pore over the 230 pages of the full text of the governor’s State of the State message, we take note of the many positive statements we’ve heard, as well as the numerous complaints as to why the Hudson Valley did not receive more […]
December 23, 2013
By Jonathan Drapkin / For the Times Herald-Record
It’s the holiday season — time for people to make lists of what they want. Sometimes they get the items on their lists, and sometimes they don’t.
In the world of economic development and government, a whole lot of list-making has been going on. Over the past […]