Tax-funded employer contributions to New York’s state and local government pension funds are about to rise sharply. What will be the impact on budgets, taxes and public services? Are New York’s public pensions adequately funded? What can be done to curb pension expenses while fairly balancing the interests of taxpayers and employees? We invite you to join us for the presentation of a new Empire Center report that seeks to answer these questions — culminating in a keynote from a Utah state lawmaker who has been a national leader in state pension reform.

Presentation

E.J. McMahon
Senior Fellow
Empire Center – Manhattan Institute

Josh Barro
Walter B. Wriston Fellow
Manhattan Institute

[Download Presentation]


Responder Panel

Moderator: Bill Hammond

Hon. Rob Astorino
County Executive
Westchester
[Download Presentation]

Hon. Stephanie A. Miner
Mayor
City of Syracuse

Hon. Michael Benjamin
State Assemblyman
New York

Timothy G. Kremer
Executive Director
N.Y.S. School Boards Association

Stephen Madarasz
Communications Director
Civil Service Employees Association

Question & Answer
Bill Hammond – Moderator
New York Daily News

 


 Keynoter Speaker

Hon. Dan Liljenquist
State Senator
Utah

About the Author

Tim Hoefer

Tim Hoefer is president & CEO of the Empire Center for Public Policy.

Read more by Tim Hoefer

You may also like

Medicaid Migraine: Retaking Control of New York’s Surging Health-Care Costs

This Gov. Hugh L. Carey Policy Forum forum will draw attention to the Medicaid spending surge, trace its underlying causes, and point the way to constructive solutions. Read More

New York’s Budget Process: Time for a Rebalance?

Is it time to consider potential changes to New York’s state budget-making rules? At its inaugural Governor Hugh L. Carey Policy Forum in Albany on May 30, the Empire Center will assemble leading experts with hands-on experience in the budget process to explore answers to those questions. Read More

Breaking the Budget in New York State

Ahead of a statewide referendum in November 2005, voters throughout New York State voted down a proposed constitutional amendment that would have reduce the budget-making powers of the governor’s office while strengthening the hand of Albany’s legislative leaders. The implications of such a change were explored by distinguished speakers starting with former Governor Hugh L. Carey, one of the most successful and effective chief executives in New York State’s history. Read More

Prop 1 Debate

Debate on New York Ballot Proposal One, which would amend the state Constitution to eliminate the existing requirement for state legislators to act on the governor's annual budget Executive Budget before initiating their own appropriation bills. It would provide for an automatic contingency budget, subject to legislative amendment, whenever a new budget is not enacted before the start of a fiscal year. Read More

The Impact of Welfare Reform in New York

A distinguished panel of national, state and local policy experts gathered to discuss the impact of the landmark 1996 Welfare Reform Act. Read More

Boosting Accountability in New York’s Schools

A panel of state and national education experts gathered at the state Capitol in Albany to examine and debate Gov. Spitzer's historic education reform plan, which aims to hold New York schools more accountable than ever before. Read More

Rightsizing New York’s Budget: Why and How It Can Be Done

With a budget shortfall of $12.5 billion projected for 2009-10, New York's state government faces its most significant fiscal crisis in decades. However, this is not just another cyclical downturn. What's left of Wall Street will be significantly leaner, less profitable, and more heavily regulated than the securities industry whose explosive growth fueled the expansion of state spending for much of the past 25 years. The Empire Center and the Center for Governmental Research explored these issues at a policy forum in Albany. Read More

Healthier Choice: Market-Based Reforms for New York’s Uninsured

The Empire Center explored these market-based reforms for New York's uninsured at a policy forum in Albany. Read More