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Hochul defends administration's minority hiring efforts

WBFO News file photo

Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul says the Cuomo Administration is making an effort to hire more minority workers in new construction and jobs projects planned for around the state.

Hochul, who spoke at an event promoting minority and women owned businesses, says the giant Solar City plant in Buffalo was purposefully located along a bus line to accommodate those who can’t afford to have a car. 

“It is not out in the suburban areas,” Hochul said. “Because there is a direct concern that we have access for the minority, lower income communities in Buffalo to get people to jobs.”

And she says plans in Syracuse include creating special bus lines in poor inner city communities to help workers get to new jobs. 

The Lieutenant Governor says she doesn’t know anything about a report in the Investigative Post that says the governor’s Empire State Development Corporation has lowered its goal for minority hiring for construction jobs from 25 percent to 15 percent, and may be actually hiring as few as 6 percent to 8 percent  of non white workers for the new positions on other Buffalo Billion projects. 

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau Chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of 10 public radio stations in New York State. WBFO listeners are accustomed to hearing DeWitt’s insightful coverage throughout the day, including expanded reports on Morning Edition.