Yeah, no chance of fraud here :::eye roll:::

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ALBANY — Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday that at least $1 billion in grants, tax breaks and other funds will be lumped together as part of a competitive jobs program his administration is launching.
Calling it the largest economic development initiative in the state’s history, Cuomo released a 52-page summary of how the regional-based competition will work, including boundaries of the 10 regions.
Rochester is the hub of the nine-county Finger Lakes region, which includes Monroe, Orleans, Genesee, Wyoming, Livingston, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates counties.
“Economic development is the priority,” Cuomo said. “The best thing we can do for the state is to grow the economic base, grow the tax base, and we’re now at a point where we want to deploy the entire government to focus on that goal.”
Each of the 10 regions will be represented by a council made up of government, business and academic leaders, who will put together a five-year plan for building their region’s economy.
Based on those plans, the state will determine in December how to split up the funding, which includes $130 million in this year’s budget for capital projects and about $900 million in existing incentives available from state agencies.
“We’re saying to governments all across the state that we’re serious about this,” Cuomo said. “We’re putting our money where our mouth is. It is about bringing jobs to New York and growing jobs in New York.”
The other regions are Western New York, Southern Tier, Central New York, Mohawk Valley, North Country, Capital Region, Mid-Hudson, New York City and Long Island.
The makeup of each region’s council will be announced “in the coming weeks,” said Cuomo, who featured the panels as a cornerstone of his first State of the State address early this year.
Lt. Gov. Robert Duffy will be the official chairman of all 10 councils. Cuomo will appoint a pair of vice chairs from each region, one from the business community and the other from academia.
For regions other than New York City and Long Island, county executives will also serve on the panel, as well as the top official from the three largest municipalities. Other members will be appointed as needed to two-year terms.
The initial five-year plans are due by Nov. 14, with a determination of how to split up the resources made by the end of the year, according to Cuomo’s office.
Cuomo’s plan has the cautious backing of much of the business community, which has long been critical of New York for its high taxes and poor business climate.
“By looking at economic development from both a statewide and regional perspective, business and civic leaders will have direct input into how economic incentives, procurement practices, tax relief and mandate relief initiatives are designed,” Heather Briccetti, acting president of the state Business Council, said in a statement.
JCAMPBELL1 Read More: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20110721/NEWS01/107210322/-1/7daysarchives/Ten-New-York-regions-compete-1-billion-job-creation