Dewey played a leading role in securing support and funding for the New York State Thruway, which was eventually named in his honor.Plotch, Philip Mark. Politics Across the Hudson: The Tappan Zee Megaproject. Rutgers University Press, New Jersey (2015). pp. 6–10. . Dewey also streamlined and consolidated many state agencies to make them more efficient.Smith, pp. 37–40. During the Second World War construction in New York was limited, which allowed Dewey to create a $623 million budget surplus, which he placed into his "Postwar Reconstruction Fund." The fund would eventually create 14,000 new beds in the state's mental health system, provide public housing for 30,000 families, allow for the reforestation of 34 million trees, create a water pollution program, provide slum clearance, and pay for a "model veterans' program."(Smith, p. 39) His governorship was also "friendlier by far than his [Democratic] predecessors to the private sector", as Dewey created a state Department of Commerce to "lure new businesses and tourists to the Empire State, ease the shift from wartime boom, and steer small businessmen, in particular, through the maze of federal regulation and restriction." Between 1945 and 1948, 135,000 new businesses were started in New York.
dewey played a leading role in securing support and funding for the new york state thruway which was eventually named in his honorplotch philip mark politics across the hudson the tappan zee megaproject rutgers university press new jersey (2015) pp :6–10  dewey also streamlined and consolidated many state agencies to make them more efficientsmith pp 37–40 during the second world war construction in new york was limited which allowed dewey to create a $623 million budget surplus which he placed into his "postwar reconstruction fund" the fund would eventually create 14000 new beds in the state's mental health system provide public housing for 30000 families allow for the reforestation of 34 million trees create a water pollution program provi?de slum clearance and pay for a "model veterans' program"(smith p 39) his governorship was also "friendlier by far than his [democratic] predecessors to the private sector" as dewey created ?a state department of commerce to "lure new businesses and tourists to the empire state ea!se the shift from wartime boom and steer small businessmen in particular through the maze of federal regulation and restriction" between 1945 and 1948 135000 new businesses were started in new york