Tech City, outside Kingston, now largely vacant, was once home to a substantial IBM presence in Ulster County

KINGSTON - Ulster County Executive Candidate Len Bernardo (I–Accord) has released a letter to Governor David Paterson and State Economic Development leaders urging the state become more proactive in urging IBM to come back to Ulster County.  IBM announced this past week that it will make a $1.5 billion investment in upstate New York.  

“Not that long ago, Ulster County was a major leader in technology jobs.  The failure in leadership on the part of both major political parties has meant job creation has left much of Ulster County behind,” Bernardo said. “Families are feeling squeezed and jobs are leaving.  Our County Leaders should be camped out on the Governor’s doorstep urging the Governor to urge IBM to take another look at Ulster County.”

Saying the county Industrial Development Agency has signed “few if any new projects in the past three years,” Bernardo, running as the Republican-endorsed candidate, said if elected, he would end county support of the Ulster County Development Corporation and take personal responsibility for county job creation efforts.

Bernardo said he would work to create a county corporate park on existing facilities and dedicate the hotel/motel tax revenue toward tourism promotion.