The health care field has, as they say, been very very good to state employees, at least those at the top of the pay scale, according to data out Tuesday from the Empire Center. The fiscally conservative think tank has assembled a list of Top 10 earners and, with the exception of Nano College’s Alain Kaloyeros, they all are at SUNY or CUNY medical centers. State psychiatrists also did well according to the survey. Read More
How much did state workers make in New York in 2013? The Empire Center released its updated state government payroll at SeeThroughNY.net Tuesday, covering more than 287,000 government workers. According to the website, 1,316 state government employees earned more than Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s $179,000 annual salary in 2013. Read More
These boots were made for walking, as the song goes. Unfortunately for New York, they’re walking right out of the state, with the latest Census figures showing Florida about to overtake us as the nation’s third-most-populous state. Read More
E.J. McMahon, president of the Empire Center for New York State Policy in Albany, said that governors for at least 30 years have used state agencies to fund staff in the executive chamber as a way to conceal the true size of the governor's staff. But having state authorities like NYSERDA, which is funded by utility fees, pay for the governor's staff, is taking that a step further. "I think it's another degree of inappropriateness," McMahon said. "It's just another way of using an authority as a cash cow." Read More
Labor costs make up about 75 percent of a school district's budget. So during budget season, employee and teacher salaries often are scrutinized. Read More
In the eyes of many Broome County residents, nursing homes and transportation services are essential government functions that should remain in public hands. More than 80 people gathered Thursday in the meeting hall at the American Legion Post 80, 75 Main St., Binghamton., to speak out against the possibility of privatizing B.C. Transit or the Willow Point Nursing Home. Read More
There are budget tricks, and there are budget tricks. Some governors go to enormous lengths and expense to improve the way their finances look. They sell highways or government buildings, delay worker paychecks or tax refunds, or concoct new and costly ways to borrow money. Read More
What teachers in New York state make the most money? The Scarsdale School District in Westchester County pays a median salary of $137,017, according to state Education Department data for the 2012-13 school year. Read More