

Government transparency is the key to holding elected officials and agencies accountable to taxpayers. For this reason, the Empire Center annually files hundreds of Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) requests and posts the results publicly on its SeeThroughNY.net database. Over the years, numerous agencies have obstructed access to public records, unnecessarily redacting information or simply ignoring FOIL requests.
This new timeline traces five of the legal battles the Empire Center has fought since 2009 against public agencies that refuse to allow taxpayers to see where their money is going.
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New York City Teachers’ Retirement System Adds More $200K Retirees
The number of retired New York City educators who received pensions over $200,000 continues to grow, reaching 117 last year. Read More

Six-figure NYSLRS pensions quadruple in ten years
The number of New York State and Local Retirement System (NYSLRS) retirees eligible for six-figure pensions quadrupled over the last seven years. Read More

Average Pay Spiked at Port Authority in 2021
Average pay for Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ) employees increased nearly 10 percent last year, to $123,000. Read More

Over 700 MTA Employees Earned More in OT than Regular Pay in 2021, Data Show
More than 300 employees were paid at least $100,000 in overtime and at least 734 earned more in overtime than in regular pay at the MTA last year Read More

Legislative Spending Unevenly Divided Among Members
Spending by state lawmakers on office personnel and administrative costs varies widely, with some paying out nearly twice as much as others Read More

State OT, Salaries Up in 2021
Overtime pay for state employees rose to nearly $1 billion, and salaries increased by six percent during the 2021 calendar year, according to data posted today to SeeThroughNY.net Read More

Public School Retiree Pensions Set New Record
Average pension benefits for newly retired public educators outside New York City reached a record high last year Read More

Most Long Island Educators Paid at Least $100,000 Last Year
18% of all public-school teachers and administrators employed by school districts outside New York City were paid over $100,000 last year Read More
Six-figure NYSLRS pensions quadruple in ten years
- July 29, 2022
Average Pay Spiked at Port Authority in 2021
- April 29, 2022
Legislative Spending Unevenly Divided Among Members
- April 20, 2022
State OT, Salaries Up in 2021
- February 3, 2022
Public School Retiree Pensions Set New Record
- January 11, 2022
Most Long Island Educators Paid at Least $100,000 Last Year
- September 23, 2021