On paper, James Scalzo rarely sleeps. He works full time as a cook at the Albany County jail, five days a week, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. But he’s also serves on the Albany Common Council and, like most of his 15 colleagues, is listed as working 30 hour Read More
ALBANY — State budget officials said on Thursday that New York’s economy was slipping into a recession that could last through early next year and prove worse than the recession looming before the country as a whole. Laura L. Anglin, the budge Read More
A slowing economy hasn’t stopped New York school districts from spending and spending, a new report shows. The Empire Center for Public Policy says that New York school districts will increase per-pupil spending next year by nearly 1 1/2 times t Read More
The campaign for reining in runaway school taxes across New York has a new poster boy: Long Island school administrator John Hunderfund. By exploiting to the max the ridiculously generous retirement system for public employees, Hunderfund, the for Read More
Frank Tassone earns $1.05 a day working as a porter at the Mid-State Correctional Facility in Oneida. Cleaning toilets and shower stalls, he is far from his comfortable days as the superintendent of the Roslyn school district, where he enjoyed lavish Read More
Area schools are increasing spending at a rate higher than the state average, according to a recent analysis of local school budgets by a state watchdog group. But administrators said Monday the analysis gives a misleading picture of what is reall Read More
Gov. Paterson will soon get an excel lent chance to show seriousness of purpose when lawmakers yet again stick their fists in the public till - this time with a labor-driven measure that sets minimum health-care perks for public-sector retirees. T Read More
Some things happen every spring. The sun grows warmer. The trees sprout fresh green leaves. And Albany lawmakers dream up new and costly ways to make government workers even more comfortable when they retire. This year is no exception. Although th Read More