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The health care bill now moving through Congress could heap significant added costs on New York State.  But the Heritage Foundation is offering on how New York could turn the tables on the feds and save at least $47 billion on Medicaid over a six-y Read More

Did Governor David Paterson forget why he vetoed a bill that virtually locks in health benefits for retired state and local government employees? Or does he believe retired teachers are more deserving? The Tier 5 bill, , goes beyond creating a ne Read More

New York City's independent budget office (IBO) that Gotham will take in $1.3 billion more than the mayor is projecting over the rest of this fiscal year and next. The extra cash will alleviate some pressure on the city's projected (itself already Read More

The Senate today also passed the so-called previously approved by the Assembly and backed by Governor Paterson--complete with a form of super card-check for unions seeking to organize authority-sponsored hotel and convention center development projec Read More

Buried in is an incredible set of special concessions to unionized school teachers in New York.  None of these changes were contained in Governor Paterson's original "pension reform" proposal, .  The worst of the giveaways to teachers in the final Read More

What does a tiny Arab emirate have in common with the NBA's worst team, which currently plays in New Jersey?  And why should the answer matter to a taxpayer in Buffalo or Syracuse?  Nicole in today's New York Post. Read More

 Is Governor David Paterson ready to consider a wage freeze? Based on what he told reporters Sunday, the answer may be yes. The governor was asked to comment on the idea as presented in an op-ed by John Faso, the 2006 gubernatorial candi Read More

"[Dubai] will not ... be able to restore confidence in its solvency without support from Abu Dhabi, its oil-rich investor, neighbour and the more conservative senior partner in the United Arab Emirates. ... Abu Dhabi should give whatever help is nee Read More

Governor Paterson today that New York State faces "an unprecedented financial emergency," and asked the Legislature to choose between passing his deficit-reduction plan or granting him a new "executive option" to cut the budget unilaterally.  But t Read More

Josh Barro of Manhattan Institute has a strong at RealClearMarkets digging more deeply into the Rockefeller Institute's on quarterly state tax collections.  Key take-away: "states without income taxes are generally showing admirable (and unsurpris Read More