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.
Click here to view the full timeline.
You may also like
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
Newest Pensions for Retirees of Police and Fire Careers Average $86,852
ALBANY, NY - Newest Pensions for Career Police and Fire Retirees Average $86,852
Read More
New Public Authority Payroll Data Now Posted at SeeThroughNY
ALBANY, NY — 2020 for a total of 79,146 employees at 331 different New York State public authorities is now posted at , the Empire Center’s transparency website.
2021 is also posted for a total of 11,073 employees at 23 public aut Read More
$139K Average Pension for New Full-Career FDNY Retirees
Nearly three-quarters of those retiring last year from the City of New York’s Fire Department (FDNY) were eligible for six-figure pensions Read More
Three of 62 Requested COVID Data Sets Made Available through FOIL
Just three COVID data sets have been made fully available in the month since the Empire Center officially submitted 62 FOIL requests Read More
Rec and Restroom Facility Projects Among Fresh DASNY Pork
A total of $87 million in new grants were steered to 174 local projects over the past ten months by Governor Cuomo’s State Dormitory Authority (DASNY) Read More
Post-Pandemic, New York should “Keep the Change”
Albany, NY — Many of the executive orders signed during the COVID-19 pandemic should be codified into law, specifically those that address health care services, occupational licensing and government transparency, according to a new Empi Read More
Legislative Spending in Campaign Year Includes $7 Million in Postage
State lawmakers spent $7.3 million on postage for campaign-style mailings to constituents in the six-month run-up to last year’s elections Read More
Enjoying our work? Sign up for email alerts on our latest news and research.
Together, we can make New York a better place to live and work!