Bill Owens’ Latest Dodge: Where Are the Jobs?

Washington- Bill Owens has spent plenty of time and money trying to boost his economic credentials, even going so far as to claim that he has “helped to attract over 2,000 jobs to Upstate New York.” But for all of Owens’ blustering about job creation, he doesn’t seem to be able to answer a simple question: Where are the jobs?

According to the New York State Department of Labor, Owens’ assertions have a few holes in them. Since 1995, when Owens claims to have led the redevelopment of the Plattsburgh Air Force Base, the area has seen unemployment climb from 6.8 percent to a whopping 9.8 percent. Additionally, average annual employment in the region has fallen by over a thousand workers in that time period despite significant population growth.

With statewide unemployment on the rise, does Bill Owens really want to wager his credibility on laughable claims of economic recovery?

“New York’s unemployment rate climbed to 9 percent in August, up from 8.6 percent in July, according to new data the state Labor Department released today.

“August’s rate was the highest since April 1983, according to the department.” (Kevin Tampone, “State Unemployment Rises to Highest Level since 1983,” Central New York Business Journal, 9/17/09)

“Bill Owens can make all the empty claims he wants, but at the end of the day, central and northern New Yorkers know that his approach to these difficult economic times is ineffective at best,” said NRCC Communications Director Ken Spain. “Owens has made a habit of withholding information, but if he really wants to claim that he’s been a leader in economic development, he owes voters an answer to a very simple question: Where are the jobs?”

As Owens continues to duck and dodge when it comes to answering questions about his record, central and northern New Yorkers are only left to wonder when they’ll see the economic growth that Owens has been promising for nearly 15 years.

(Source: New York State Department of Labor)

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