EJ McMahon, with the fiscally conservative think tank The Empire Center calls the levy the “death tax”. He says it’s about time New York got in synch with the rest of the country, where many states have already eliminated the tax altogether. “Our death tax is an outlier,” McMahon said. Read More
The Empire Center for New York State Policy supports Gov. Andrew Cuomo's proposed expansion of the estate tax exemption as a significant first step toward reducing the burden it creates for New Yorkers, but stressed the need for an eventual repeal of the estate tax altogether. Read More
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's $2 billion tax cut proposal announced this week is based on a surplus at a time the state still has a deficit, assumptions that some financial analysts find shaky, and spreads out much of the promised benefits over several years... Read More
Shared services, dissolution, and mergers remain workable options for taxpayers and local elected officials facing challenging fiscal situations and historically high taxes in New York state, according to a report issued today by the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
Empire Center President E.J. McMahon appeared on "Live from the State Capitol" with Fred Dicker to talk about the final version of the state budget for fiscal year 2015. Read More
Democratic Queens Assemblyman William Scarborough, whose offices in Albany and Queens were raided he says over questions stemming from his travel expenses, received $32,492 in voucher reimbursements over a 12-month period. Read More
In a case that could have ramifications for government transparency, New York's top judges may decide whether details about taxpayer-funded teacher pensions should remain hidden or be open to the public. Read More
It’s an open-and-shut case: The public has a right to know which retired public employees are earning pensions and just how much they’re pocketing. Read More