40 Belowers Respond to Summit
"To have these issues - of building livable communities, re-use of historic buildings, creating internships and supporting innovative entrepreneurs - discussed on this kind of statewide platform gives me great hope. The State has a large role to play in building the coalitions and providing the resources to turn these discussions into tangible outcomes. And the First Lady has an army of willing partners on the ground, in places like Syracuse, who literally live these issues every day, and who are ready to help implement this agenda."
Rob Simpson
"What excited me most about the I Live New York Summit is that instead of continuing to focus on what's wrong with New York, participants from across the State were engaged in an open and honest dialogue focused on identifying progressive and proactive solutions to our common challenges. The Summit also solidified my strong belief that 40 Below's efforts are right on target. As these important issues continue to gain traction throughout the State, I look forward to counting on First Lady and Governor Spitzer for continued guidance and support."
Ben Walsh
"I found the summit to be an excellent opportunity to bring the messages that 40Below has been discussing for three years to an upstate platform. The summit actually drew an audience from Long Island to Buffalo and for the most part, everyone has the same issues and troubles recruiting and attracting new young entrepreneurs. There were excellent examples of success stories from other parts of the country also, that got us thinking about how to learn from other's successes and not reinvent the wheel. I was disappointed that the actionable steps, that we as concerned and proactive citizens could take to help urge lawmakers to lower the barriers that hinder the growth in New York were not addressed. I can only hope that our unified voice in the break-out sessions will reaffirm what our bureaucracy already knows. Rhetoric about lower taxes and energy prices by 2015 sounds like the right direction but we need more concrete, mid term planning and goals so that we can sell that progress to possible incoming business owners."
Scott Johnston
"The "I Live New York" Summit provided a familar framework to discuss strategies for attracting and retaining New York State's young talent. Highlighted with keynote speakers and panels of highly regarded professionals, civic leaders and our own peers in fields ranging from the arts and sciences to tourism and agriculture, I left the Summitfeeling both hopeful and inspired by the potential of our combined efforts and forthcoming report. I applaud Silda Spitzer' efforts to elevate 40 Below's issues at the highest levels... an excellent start by the new adminstration to examine the factors driving young people out of our communities and the perfect complement to our own efforts."
Jessica Crawford, 40 Below Steering Committee
This item was published on 09/25/2007
