GETZVILLE, N.Y. -- For the second time in less than a week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a stop in Western New York. Last Wednesday, he criticized lawmakers for questioning his economic development initiatives. This week, he brought news he believes is a clear sign the initiatives are working.

"The plan was to prime the pump to get the economy started and then to get private companies to start to buy into Buffalo," said Cuomo, D-New York.

Cuomo, with representatives from GEICO, announced an expansion of the insurance company in Western New York. GEICO promised to bring 600 new jobs to the area.

"These are jobs that they could've added anywhere in the United States, but they chose Buffalo," he said.

Cuomo said the state's investment is minimal in comparison to GEICO's. It's a $4 million grant package doled out in installments as the company hits job benchmarks.

"If they wanted to really get the best state incentive, they could get tens of millions of dollars from any state to bring 600 jobs. That's what it's worth. GEICO is prestigious company. They could've gotten a lot more money," he said.

Cuomo said incentive packages are and will continue to be a critical part of the state's plan to bring and keep companies in upstate New York.

"Every state now competes for private sector jobs," he said. "A company offering 600 jobs, literally, is almost bidding war among states."

Cuomo again criticized some state legislators who last week questioned economic czar Howard Zemsky about the state's embattled START-UP NY initiative. The program provides a decade of tax-free operations in New York for companies that move to the state and create jobs. He also took a shot at State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who has questioned tax break programs in a series of audits and reports.

"The comptroller was in the New York State legislature and sat in that Assembly, as did members of the western delegation for many, many years, where New York and upstate and Buffalo hemorrhaged jobs," he said.

The governor said GEICO is just another example of changing economic landscape in upstate – one some lawmakers haven't accepted yet.

"One of the reasons why I push back so hard sometimes on the negativity is you guys were eating yourselves," he said. "The negativity was devouring yourself."