Andrew Cuomo, New York’s Governor, has a mission, and that mission is clearly stated in his mantra: New York is Open for Business. Governor Cuomo believes, and I do as well, that to insure a safe and prosperous future for all New Yorkers, there must be jobs available that provide a livable wage for all New Yorkers. To that end, two years ago, he created ten Regional Economic Development Councils and charged them with the task of devising a regional plan to promote business growth and development that would increase the availability of jobs in each region. Over the last two years, he has provided special funding for projects in each region that supports these goals. I have had the privilege of being one of two people from Rockland to represent the county on the Mid-Hudson Regional Economic Development Council (MHREDC). In the fall of 2012 Rockland’s plan was selected as one of the top four plans, and the region was awarded almost $100,000,000 to support that plan. While t...