New York Assemblyman Improves Technology
Infrastructure to Spur Development Alternatives
Assemblyman Kevin Cahill (Flemming Fellow 2000) is digging
deep to put his community on the super highway to development.
Cahill’s bill, A.8005, known
as the “shovel-ready” legislation, signed by Governor
George Pataki, allows New York State’s Ulster County
to build infrastructure – including wiring for Internet access – on
its vacant properties to make them more attractive
to potential buyers. Since passage of the state
legislation, the county has set aside $1 million to begin
pre-construction work.
Cahill has been a strong proponent of improving
technology infrastructure as a key economic development tool. “You know the old
saying in real estate, `location, location, location.’ Location is now
frequently determined by your ability to communicate with the world,” said
Cahill. “We have a number of sites that need high speed, wide-band access
(Internet wiring). It is the water and sewer of the
21st Century.”
Two years ago the Corning Company, a large manufacturer of fiber optics, considered moving
to Ulster County, a rural area 70 miles outside New
York City in the Hudson Valley, but chose
Scranton, Pennsylvania instead, in part because Scranton
had shovel-ready legislation in place.
Cahill, who serves on the Consumer Affairs and Economic Development, Job Creation, and
Commerce and Industries committees, is very
excited about the new precedent his shovel-ready
legislation establishes. “If we succeed and the local
governments participate, I see this bill as being a model for
the state,” he said. “Success would be attracting
good-paying jobs.”
