What does 2016 have in store for New York State?
Much of our attention will no doubt be focused on the same general issues that preoccupied us in 2015 — issues such as the economy, taxes, government wages and pensions, population shifts and pork barrel spending.
And so, with best wishes to all for a Happy New Year, here’s a last look back at the Empire Center’s web traffic highlights for the year just ended — including updates to our popular government transparency website, SeeThroughNY.net.
The 5 most popular EmpireCenter.org pages in 2015:
- Higher Pay, Fewer Jobs – Video features and articles explaining what’s at stake for New York in the proposal to jack up the statewide minimum wage to $15 an hour.
- The Empire Center’s Pension Calculator – We’ve made it simple to estimate the retirement income for a state and local government worker and to see what it would cost a private-sector worker to buy an equivalent annuity in the open market.
- New Yorkers Keep Heading for Exits – People are the Empire State’s leading, priceless export.
- Albany’s Secretive Slush Fund – Our NYTorch.com blog post that blew the whistle on the evolution of the $1.1 billion State and Municipal Facilities Program.
- What They Make—2015 Edition – The Empire Center’s unique annual compendium of average pay for every county, city, town and village government in New York State.
The 5 most popular SeeThroughNY releases in 2015:
About the Author
You may also like
The fatal flaw in New York’s climate Superfund law
In 2024, the New York state Legislature decided the state needed some money — $75 billion, to be exact — for “comprehensive adaptation to the effects of in New York state.”
The Legislature thought it had found Read More
Long Islanders and Empire Center Debate Homeschooling
Greater Long Island’s recent into the rise of homeschooling sparked quite a debate. Hundreds of readers on Facebook, weighing in on everything from academics and socialization to parental rights, teacher qualifications, a Read More
Taxes, the Cost of Living, and Feeling Ignored: Why New Yorkers Are Thinking of Leaving
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ALBANY, N.Y. - New Yorkers across the political spectrum are considering leaving the state. A new finds that Republicans and independent voters most often cite taxes as the reason, while Dem Read More
Leaving New York
Executive Summary
The desire to leave New York is strong and cuts across every demographic group measured in the survey. One-third of New Yorkers have considered leaving the state within the next five years, while another third know some Read More
N.Y. fails education despite spending big
New York’s schools are spending more than ever, but student performance keeps falling.
Unsurprisingly, Empire Center’s latest opinion poll shows with how education is run. They want better results, less spending, and more choice — something th Read More
Albany Steers Nearly $100 Million in 2026 Pork Barrel Spending
Albany steered $97.2 million to 206 local projects during the first half of 2026 in the newest batch of state discretionary grants, according to. The new tranche is the latest addition to the pork-barrel grant database the Empire Center h Read More
New York’s Electricity Prices Fifth Highest in the Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALBANY, N.Y. — Empire Center’s shows New York households paid the fifth‑highest residential electricity prices in the country in June 2026, trailing only Hawaii, California Read More
New Poll Shows New Yorkers Want Cheaper Energy — RGGI’s Price Record Shows They Aren’t Getting It
Editor's note: Roger Caiazza is an adjunct fellow at the Empire Center. He has a long and deep private industry background in environmental regulatory analysis and compliance. His frequently updated personal blog on New York Read More