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2012 ISSUE SURVEY RESULTS

FEDERAL ISSUES:

1) HOW DO YOU CHARACTERIZE YOUR POSITION ON THE INCREASING

LEVELS OF FEDERAL SPENDING AND DEBT?

a) I am very concerned. Federal spending and debt must be decreased ..93%

b) I'm supportive. I think it is necessary for the economy ....................... 7%

2) THE PRESIDENT AND CONGRESS SHOULD DO THE FOLLOWING TO SUPPORT

ECONOMIC RECOVERY, GROWTH AND JOB CREATION:

a) Reduce federal spending .............................................................. ................89%

b) Reduce mandates and regulations on employers .............................. ................89%

c) Tax relief for businesses and job creation ........................................ ................81%

d) Changes in Social Security and Medicare for future recipients ....................... 35%

e) Tax increases on business and higher income families to support higher

federal spending .................................................. ..............................................8%

f) Higher federal spending on federal programs .............. .....................................4%

g) Stronger government involvement in private business .....................................2%

h) New benefit and pay mandates on employers .................................. ................2%

NEW YORK STATE ISSUES:

3) NEW YORK STATE CONTINUES TO FACE BUDGETARY AND FINANCIAL CHALLENGES

FOR 2012 AND BEYOND. WHICH OF THE FOLLOWING STEPS DO YOU SUPPORT? (CHECK

ALL THAT YOU AGREE WITH):?

a) Consolidate state agencies and their back-office operations .............. ..........94%

b) Reduce costly mandates on schools districts and local governments ............90%

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c) Restructure public employee benefits to more closely align such benefits

with comparable private sector benefits, particularly in such high cost

areas as health insurance and pensions ................................ .........................85%

d) Enact a new Tier VI public pension law for new state employees in the future

that includes a defined contribution option...................................................... 82%

e) Enact permanent cost-saving reforms in major state programs such as

Medicaid ...... ..................................................................................................68%

f) Reductions in state taxes and fees .................................................................66%

g) Increases in state taxes and fees ....................................................................2%

h) Increase state mandates on employers and job creation in New York State 1%

4) SHOULD THE STATE LEGISLATURE SEND A CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT

ALLOWING STATE APPROVED CASINOS TO STATE VOTERS FOR A PUBLIC

REFERENDUM?:

a) Yes ........................................................................................................73%

b) No .........................................................................................................27%

5) DO YOU SUPPORT SIGNIFICANT MANDATE RELIEF FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENTS AND

SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS THE NEXT STEP IN CONTROLLING PROPERTY TAXES,

FOLLOWING LAST YEAR'S ENACTMENT OF A PROPERTY TAX CAP?:

a) Yes .......................................................................................................96%

b) No ........................................................................................................ 4%

6) DO YOU SUPPORT STATE REGULATORY RELIEF AND SIMPLIFICATION TO HELP

REDUCE COSTS AND TIME DELAYS AND TO CREATE A REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

THAT IS LESS ADVERSARIAL?:

a) Yes ................................................................................................................ 98%

b) No ................................................................................................................. 2%

7) OVERALL, WHICH TWO STATE ISSUES ARE YOUR TOP PRIORITIES THIS YEAR? (PLEASE

CHECK ONLY TWO):

#1: Reduce state mandates which cause higher property taxes

#2: State regulatory relief and simplification

#3: Reduce state spending and taxes

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REGIONAL ISSUES:

8) SHOULD EXISTING RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE ADIRONDACK/NORTH COUNTRY

REGION CONTINUE TO BE PRESERVED AND USED IN SUPPORT OF FUTURE TOURISM

AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? (Examples: Tahawus railway from North Creek and

Adirondack Railroad from Utica to Lake Placid):

a) Yes ............................................................................................................. 90%

b) No .............................................................................................................. 10%

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE INDEX - -

9) WHAT IS YOUR GENERAL 2012 OUTLOOK FOR EACH OF THE FOLLOWING IN

COMPARISON WITH 2011?

YOUR SALES/BUSINESS ACTIVITY: 69% UP

22% NO CHANGE

91% BUSINESS CONFIDENCE INDEX

YOUR EMPLOYMENT: 21% UP

6% DOWN

73% NO CHANGE

NEW YORK STATE ECONOMY: 38% UP

17% DOWN

44% NO CHANGE