Hoyt brings the Governor’s State of the State message to Western New York
One day after delivering his State of the State address, Governor Cuomo is sending his top staff out across the state to sell his 2013 agenda to New Yorkers. YNN's Kevin Jolly caught up with Cuomo surrogate Sam Hoyt in West Seneca where he pitched the Governor's plans for the new year.
To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.
Then come back here and refresh the page.
WEST SENECA, N.Y. — Former State Assemblyman Sam Hoyt, who now heads the Empire State Development Corporation, will be hitting the road the next two weeks delivering an abbreviated version of the Governor's State of the State address.
His first stop is a senior citizens center in West Seneca.
"Let me just review some of the core elements of what was talked about yesterday. Number one, attracting good jobs and economic development; that's what I'm doing all day everyday with Empire State Development, that is his number one goal as governor," said Hoyt.
That's exactly what West Seneca Town Supervisor Sheila Meegan wanted to hear.
"Sam has made a commitment to us, we're going to meet with them and continue that economic development in the Town of West Seneca. So for that it's a must for us, we have to move in that direction," said Meegan.
In addition to boosting the state's economy, Hoyt talked about the Governor's proposal to crack down on assault weapons and take guns away from people deemed by mental health professionals to be a threat.
It a proposal that's raising questions for resident Jim Wiktorski.
"I have no objection with some restrictions being put on semi-automatics and clips. Why he's bringing up the issue of the handguns I don't know," said Jim Wiktorski.
"As far as gun regulations, he's totally wrong on that.They're still gonna get into the hand of the wrong people," said Raymond Perry.
“He is negotiations with the leaders of the Senate and the Assembly on a sensible but strong gun control policy in the state of New York, again with an emphasis on the automatic weapons but handguns and all types of guns will be part of that review," said Hoyt.
Hoyt says he expects to answers more tough questions about the governor's State of the State address as he echoes his message across New York in the next two weeks.