Beginning in 2014, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, signed into law in March 2010, is expected to significantly extend health-insurance coverage in New York by increasing Medicaid enrollment and offering federal subsidies for the purchase of private health insurance. However, there is no guarantee that the newly insured will be able to access the health-care system in a timely fashion as new demand for services outstrips physician supply. Read More
Add the Bethlehem Central School District to the small, but growing, list of public entities taking action to bring spending in line with economic reality. Officials of the Albany area school district that they had implemented a voluntary sala Read More
New York’s Legislature should avoid adding any tax increases to the proposed 2011-12 state budget, E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy testified today before the Joint Legislative Fiscal Committees. Read More
Governor Cuomo’s 2011-12 Executive Budget does not call for any significant state tax increases. The thrust of my testimony today is that the Legislature should not attempt to add tax increases to this budget—and should start actively working on a more competitive and growth-oriented tax policy for the future. Read More
Sen. Chuck Schumer says he could be all for Deutsche Borse buying the New York Stock Exchange ... so long as the New York Stock Exchange name comes first. "The New York Stock Exchange is one of the most trusted, preeminent brands in the financial world... Read More
The Post has a good editorial today on Mayor Bloomberg's plan to cut pension costs by taking away a "bonus" check from uniformed workers who have already retired: [W]hile the mayor has standing to ask for relief, the notion is fanciful... Read More
It's all well and good that Assembly and Senate leaders have agreed on a "roadmap" towards adopting a budget by April 1, including a March 15 deadline for passing one-house budget resolutions and forming conference committees, and a March 28... Read More
From the "Economic and Revenue Outlook" volume of the 2011-12 Executive Budget, here's the table showing the distribution of state personal income tax liability and adjusted gross income. Read More