Most Long Island Educators Paid at Least $100,000 Last Year
18% of all public-school teachers and administrators employed by school districts outside New York City were paid over $100,000 last year Read More
Press Room
Press Releases
Newest Pensions for Retirees of Police and Fire Careers Average $86,852
- September 14, 2021
ALBANY, NY - Newest Pensions for Career Police and Fire Retirees Average $86,852 Read More
Statement on the release of new COVID-19 Death Toll data
- August 25, 2021
The Cuomo administration left out many people who died without a test during the early weeks of the pandemic Read More
An Open Letter to Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul
- August 23, 2021
As an organization committed to openness in government, we welcome your commitment to leading a fully transparent administration Read More
New Public Authority Payroll Data Now Posted at SeeThroughNY
- August 18, 2021
ALBANY, NY — 2020 for a total of 79,146 employees at 331 different New York State public authorities is now posted at , the Empire Center’s transparency website. 2021 is also posted for a total of 11,073 employees at 23 publi Read More
Commentary
Kathy Hochul will have to prove she can hold the line on state spending
- August 25, 2021
Kathy Hochul’s stuck to the tradition for initial inaugurals: blessedly brief, general themes, details (implicitly) to follow. Hochul’s specific priorities were lowest-common-denominator stuff: “combating” the spread of COVID-19 linked Read More
Nursing Cuomo’s broken trust: Kathy Hochul’s responsibility on COVID and long-term care
- August 19, 2021
One of the most urgent imperatives confronting soon-to-be Gov. Kathy Hochul will be getting real about the state’s pandemic response Read More
Anatomy of an Albany Budget Blowout
- August 6, 2021
For the first time ever, New York is projecting balanced state budgets across two consecutive fiscal years. Read More
Beyond booze-to-go: NY should make other COVID red-tape cuts permanent
- July 7, 2021
Republican lawmakers in Albany are calling for a special session to revive the popular alcohol-to-go provision Read More
Testimony
Bill Hammond Testifies on Public Health Spending in FY2022 Budget
- February 25, 2021
The past year has taught a painful lesson about the importance of public health defenses, not just in terms of preventing sickness and death, but also preserving our economy and way of life. Read More
E.J. McMahon Testifies on Tax Issues in FY2022 Budget
- February 23, 2021
In economic terms, the coronavirus pandemic has been the most disruptive event to hit New York and the nation since the Great Depression in the early 1930s. While New Yorkers hope to resume to some semblance of normal life by summer, the fiscal hangover for the state and its local governments will linger for years. Read More
Empire Center’s Kingsbury to Legislature: Cuomo’s budget exacerbates spending problem
- January 28, 2021
New York spends more per student on education than any state or country. According to the most recent national and international spending estimates, New York would retain that status even after cutting state funding to schools by 20 percent. Read More
Residential Health Care Facilities and COVID-19 in Upstate New York
- August 10, 2020
As the harrowing past few months have made clear, New York was both unusually vulnerable to the coronavirus and dangerously underprepared to fight it. Read More
Medicaid Saving Proposals
- February 21, 2020
The 11 proposals, summarized in the table below, were submitted to Governor Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign Team at a public comment forum on Friday at the Albany Capital Center. The Medicaid Redesign Team, appointed Feb. 4, is tasked with finding $2.5 billion in Medicaid savings to balance the state budget due April 1. Consistent with Cuomo’s guidelines, Hammond’s proposals would have no impact on current beneficiaries or local governments. Read More
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