The cost of publicly funded construction projects in New York is inflated up to 25 percent by the state’s outdated “prevailing wage” mandate, which requires contractors to pay workers the amounts required by union collective bargaining agreements, according to a report issued today by the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
New York’s $163 billion budget, enacted on April 9, authorizes the state to spend at a rate of $5,169 per second during its 2017-18 fiscal year, according to the Empire Center’s updated Spend-O-Meter. Read More
Port Authority of NY and NJ police department employees collected an average of $34,662 in overtime during 2016, up from $29,931 the year before, according to payroll data added today to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
Federal “block-granting” of Medicaid could have outcomes ranging from a multi-billion dollar gain to a multi-billion loss for New York’s $63 billion program, depending on how such a reform is designed, according to an analysis by the Empire Center’s health policy director, Bill Hammond. Read More
A total of 270 new police, fire, teacher and superintendent contracts were uploaded today to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
State lawmakers spent $7 million on postage for bulk mailings to constituents between April 1 and September 30, 2016, according to data added today to SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
The Empire Center’s unique online “Explore Your State Budget” app has been updated to reflect data in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed Executive Budget for the 2018 fiscal year, which begins April 1. Read More
Pensions averaged $68,334 for teachers and other professionals who retired in school year 2015-16 after working at least 30 years in New York State public schools. Read More