Thank you for visiting Unshackle Upstate – a bipartisan coalition of over 80 business and trade organizations representing upwards of 70,000 companies and employing more than 1.5 million people.

We are dedicated to changing the way New York State government treats taxpayers and private sector businesses. For far too long, legislative leaders have treated taxpayers and the business community like an ATM – reaching into our pockets with new taxes, fees and assessments designed to pay for bloated budgets they can't seem to control. This year, the 2010-11 budget will be financed in part by $1.2 billion in taxes and fee increases. Add that to the $8 billion in taxes and fee hikes adopted last year and it becomes pretty clear that it's time to change New York's toxic tax-and-spend policies.

If you're fed up with the anti-taxpayer mentality of legislative leaders, we urge you to join us in our efforts to take back our state. From now until November 2 – Judgment Day – we will be identifying incumbents that deserve to be voted out of office as well as supporting candidates that deserve the opportunity to represent you in Albany. Since our legislative leaders don't have the guts to do what's right, it's up to all of us to take action!

To learn more about Unshackle Upstate and our initatives, click here.