If the new strategy holds, it would sharply curtail Mr. Cuomo's ambition and could ultimately even increase the proportion of prisoners sent upstate.
— by Kate Laubach, of upstate New York.
Much of upstate New York remains economically moribund.
Like most of upstate New York, Utica has seen better days.
"Richard has always been there for upstate, and will continue to be there for the people of upstate," said Jon Lipshutz, a Brodsky spokesman.
Business groups see the issue as one that could boost the upstate economy, and the Republican-led State Senate — whose majority caucus includes a number of upstate lawmakers — has been supportive.
Mr Spitzer made redevelopment of upstate New York one of his campaign priorities.
Like the rest of upstate New York, Syracuse has been the victim of suburban sprawl and deindustrialisation.
"The perception was that the process was disregarding the views of upstate" county leaders.
But much of upstate New York is economically depressed, and several of its cities are shrinking.
