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Officials Defend, Tout Start-Up NY

On the heels of a state comptroller's report saying over $211 million in state spending on advertising, including for Start-Up NY, had no tangible effect, officials were at Binghamton University defending the tax-free program.
The latest numbers from Empire State Development show 110 businesses have committed 3,150 jobs and $193 in investment in the state through Start-Up NY.
The vice president of the program says out-of-state executives are taking notice and students are taking advantage.
"I think actually the even nicer part is having the job while I was in school because while my classmates were learning theories on things and we were learning how to do things I was actually out in the field doing those things," said Mike Descalzo, Binghamton senior.
"And what we're trying to do with start up is bring jobs back to upstate New York and offset some of the industry that left, but we're trying to do it in a meaningful way, not relying on one industry, one company. We're trying to bring companies to the area to compliment the academic programs at the universities," Leslie Whatley, Executive VP of START-UP NY.
Descalzo has been working at advanced material analytics on Binghamton's campus. He thought he would move to California but Start-Up NY has allowed him to stay closer to home.