The Public Policy Institute of New York State, a nonprofit think tank affiliated with the Business Council of New York State, has launched a new weblog focused on economic issues in upstate New York and related policy questions.
“We wanted to create a forum where New Yorkers and those who care about New York can read and share ideas about the Upstate economy and what New York should do to help it,” said David F. Shaffer, president of the institute.
“Whenever state policymakers consider–or fail to consider–an issue that affects Upstate’s prosperity, we get calls and emails from individual taxpayers and from proprietors of businesses struggling to compete. This is a forum for sharing these comments and questions from individual New Yorkers.”
The blog, which the organization has designed as a lively mix of institute postings and comments from the public, is available to anyone who visits http://www.upstateblog.net. Institute staff began posting items on the blog in mid-August.
The blog is to be updated most days by institute staff. Typical entries include comments and questions from New Yorkers who write about the economy and related policy issues, summaries of and links to relevant newspaper stories, and other comments and facts on policy issues.
Daily summaries of blog postings are emailed, free of charge, to anyone who sends a request to [email protected].
In just the first few weeks of postings, the blog’s daily emailed summary has attracted a range of subscribers, including key New York State journalists, business leaders, state government officials, and academics.
“The ideal contributor to the blog is anyone anywhere who wants to offer a relevant comment, question, idea, or link,” the blog says in describing itself.
Political figures and issues may be mentioned from time to time in the material, but the blog focuses on issues as opposed to individuals. The blog also provides links to other relevant Web sites.
Matthew Maguire ([email protected]) is director of communications at the Public Policy Institute of New York State.
For more information …
visit the Public Policy Institute of New York State blog at http://www.upstateblog.net, or send comments or questions to [email protected].
