Like Madison, Wisconsin, the scene of so much recent debate, Albany began this year facing an enormous budget gap for fiscal 2011-12. And similar to Wisconsin’s Scott Walker and New Jersey’s Chris Christie, who have earned reputations for tough talk, Governor Cuomo is trying to fill New York’s budget gap with spending cuts.
On March 29, E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy and former Westchester Assemblyman Richard Brodsky, who took the lead in reforming New York’s public authorities, discussed and debated alternative approaches to reforming New York in light of developments around the country.
About the Author
You may also like
Sticker Shock: The Impact of a ‘Single-Payer’ Health Plan on New York Taxes
Proponents of “single payer” health care are pushing New Yorkers to take a multi-billion-dollar leap of faith. Read More
Benchmarking New York
New York State residents pay some of the highest local taxes in the nation. Read More
With help from Washington, most hospitals ended 2020 in the black
Despite the pandemic's costly and painful disruptions, most hospitals in New York and elsewhere ended their 2020 fiscal years in the black after receiving billions in relief from Washington, an analysis of their financial filings shows.
Among reports f Read More
Tiering Up
New York taxpayers have been hit with enormous increases in pension costs for state and local government employees over the past 20 years. From less than $1 billion in 2000, combined annual employer contributions to the Empire State’s public pension funds escalated to nearly $10 billion by 2010, peaking at nearly $17 billion in 2015. Contributions have leveled off at roughly $16 billion in recent years—but under lenient government accounting standards, even that figure conceals the full long-term cost of generous, locked-in pension benefits for generations of retired government employees. Read More
Medicaid’s Metamorphosis
A new Empire Center report reveals that the New York Medicaid program now covers more individuals above the poverty line than below it. Read More
School Budget Spotlight 2021-22
Voters will cast ballots next Tuesday, May 18 on proposed budgets for school districts across New York State. New York State’s highest in the nation average per-pupil expenditure would rise to $28,658 per pupil, an increase of $1,145 per student, or 4.2 percent. Read More
Calling Tax Cut “Theft,” Cuomo Continues to Push For Federal Bucks With Phony Math
The results of this week’s Georgia Senate runoffs, assuring Democrats will soon control both houses of Congress, as well as the White House, had to come as a huge relief to Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Read More
Perverse Incentives, High Costs and Poor Outcomes
The state’s current and projected fiscal condition make this an appropriate time to examine what drives high special education spending in New York, how it’s serving children and how it can be improved. 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!