In separate new reports, the Empire Center and the Citizens Budget Commission both warn that New York is “losing control” over the costs of the program to provide health care for the poor. Absent corrective action, the problems will mushroom, pushing the state deficit for the next four years to an alarming $22 billion (and even higher if the economy goes south). Read More
“They completely overshot their limit and kept that quiet. They didn’t acknowledge they were in trouble, and instead quietly delayed the payment … they’re running a deficit. By delaying payments, in the long run it will make things worse,” said Bill Hammond of the fiscally conservative Empire Center, who recommends the state return to practices pre-2016, Read More
Bill Hammond with the fiscal watchdog group the Empire Center said that’s an irresponsible practice. “I think everybody would admit it’s a gimmick,” Hammond said. “You don’t have enough money in your checking account to pay your bills and so you just tell the people who are expecting money, ‘You have to hang on for a few days until my checkbook replenishes.’ ” Read More
A variety of factors can influence sales tax receipts, including tourism trends, weather related events, the price of gasoline and fuel oil and whether consumers are spending on furniture and cars, said E.J. McMahon, research director for the Empire Center for Public Policy, an Albany think tank. Read More
MTA cops earn more OT on average than any other agency employees, according to records obtained by the Empire Center. Soaring overtime costs are partly to blame: MTA PD’s total OT bill topped $27 million in 2018, a 21 percent spike from 2017, the data shows. Read More
To fight crime and fare evasion in New York City subways, the state Metropolitan Transportation Authority plans to hire 500 more officers for its police department—an unprecedented expansion of what's already one of the largest police forces based in New York State. As of 2018, the MTA Police employed a total of 773 officers, including new hires and officers who retired or otherwise left the payroll during the year, according to records posted at SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center's transparency website. MTA Police pay averaged $131,959, including average overtime of $34,936. The number of MTA Police officers was the highest in at least six years; in 2013, there 99 fewer total officers employed by the department. Read More
The number of state and local government early retirees collecting both a paycheck and public pension grew by 10 percent last year, according to data posted today on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
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