New York motorists afflicted with fuel pump sticker shock might take some consolation from this handy Empire Center Data Bank chart, indicating that the $3.70 average price of regular gasoline in the Empire State is only fifth highest in the country. Read More
Should New York's temporary personal income tax hike on high-income households be extended beyond its scheduled expiration at the end of this year? Former state Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and I took opposite sides on this question in a segment on... Read More
That's the argument in this provocative City Journal essay by D.J. Jaffe, who says the "skewed priorities" of the state Office of Mental Health are actually preventing the delivery of adequate care to the most seriously mentally ill. Jaffe warns that... Read More
The cost of financing long-term care (LTC) through Medicaid is on track to become “a crippling burden” for New York State unless steps are taken to reform the program, a report issued today by the Empire Center for Public Policy warns. Read More
New York’s expensive Medicaid program provides generous long-term care benefits to a large number of recipients. Although Medicaid eligibility is means-tested, with limits on both income and assets, the program nevertheless pays for most professional long-term care services in the state. Read More
Governor Cuomo proposed a cap on Superintendent salaries earlier this week, but as it relates to bringing school district spending down, it’s the equivalent of trying to chop down a tree with nail clippers. Read More
Although his proposed property tax cap will put pressure on counties, municipalities and schools to reduce their costs, Gov. Cuomo has punted the related issue of mandate relief to a "redesign team" comprised of stakeholders including representatives... Read More
States are finding it more difficult to accurately predict their revenues--and "the biggest culprit" is an increasing reliance on personal income taxes, according to a new report from the Pew Center on the States and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute... Read More