he Associated Press

ALBANY - Taxpayer and business groups from Buffalo to Binghamton are pressing Albany for reforms they say would make New York state more competitive in attracting and keeping jobs.

The groups say the concerns of average upstate taxpayers and businesses have long been ignored by state leaders and as a consequence, population growth has stagnated, companies have moved out and New York has lost much of its influence.

Census figures released this week showed that from 2000 to 2004, about 183,000 more people left New York state annually than moved in from other states. In that same time, Florida gained an average of 191,000 residents annually.

“Young people graduate from college and leave. It's almost become ritualized,” said James Ostrowski, a lawyer and the founder of Free Buffalo, a group he started in 2004. He's now expanding the concept to the state level, seeking to get rid of “big government, political machines and special interests.”

“We simply believe the cost of government statewide is way too high,” he said. “The politicians, they want to cut taxes, but there are no spending cuts. It's crazy.”

Ostrowski's group wants to bring government workers' salaries and benefits in line with the private sector and let local governments make more decisions about what is best for their areas. With dozens of volunteers, he also plans to post the records of incumbent lawmakers online.

“I think the people who have been in power during our decline have a lot to answer for,” Ostrowski said. “They have been the ones making the calls and they have to live with the consequences.”

A collection of upstate New York business groups has formed Unshackle Upstate, an initiative to press Albany to make the upstate region more hospitable to manufacturers, retailers and entrepreneurs.

A study done by the group found that from 1990 to 2004, job growth in upstate New York metropolitan areas was just 3 percent, compared with 21 percent for the nation. That's just one example of how they say lawmakers have let down upstate residents.

Organizers are pledging to spend the lobbying money it takes to get heard in Albany and to voice their message to voters.

He points out that business groups are regularly outspent by the Health Care Association of New York State, the Public Employees Federation and New York State United Teachers, which spend millions of dollars a year to influence lawmakers.

This year, among other measures, Unshackle Upstate is pushing to reform the state's $44.5 billion Medicaid program and the workers compensation system, rated as the second most costly per case in the nation after California.

“There has been virtually no motivation on the part of state government to address these changes,” said Brian Hickey, executive vice president for M&T Bank and the past chairman of the Rochester Business Alliance. “Whether it's the governor, the Senate or the Assembly, it seems like the people in power are insensitive to it. We've never held them accountable as a business community or as voters.”

M&T Chairman Robert Wilmers, one of the businessmen behind the group, made a point of addressing the state's woes in his annual speech to shareholders this month, noting that over the past 10 years, the overall U.S. rate of inflation totaled 27 percent while state spending jumped 79 percent. This year's budget, as it stands now, totals $112.8 billion.

Michael Marr, a spokesman for Republican Gov. George Pataki, said the governor “has advanced a series of Medicaid and workers compensation reform to save taxpayers' dollars and to continue improving the state's job creation and economic climate.”

He said Pataki intends to keep pushing to reform the Medicaid and the workers compensation system.