Today's from state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says first quarter tax collections were $487 million below projections, in line with the trend reflected in Taxation and Finance data . DiNapoli's chose to focus on the bright side, noting that gene Read More
Don't look now, but there's a nasty pool of red ink spreading beneath the state's budget. If are any indication of things to come, Governor Paterson and the state Legislature need to start cutting right away. Read More
The Empire State will "shell out nearly $1 million to construct signs to put up near stimulus-funded projects, just to tell us it's a stimulus-funded project," . Governor Paterson doesn't seem to have a problem with it, though. Read More
My suggests an alternative to . Read More
It seems likely the will take up and re-pass all the bills approved during its legally questionable June 30 "session," perhaps as soon as this evening. While the governor and others have described the bills awaiting Senate action for the past month Read More
The short list of "critical, non-controversial" measures Governor Paterson has sent the deadlocked state Senate for possible action tonight includes a bill authorizing Nassau County to issue bonds to finance early retirement incentives for county emp Read More
If the Republican leaders of the newly reconstituted state Senate majority really intend to press for property tax relief before the end of session, they should start by reviving the school property tax cap. But they should ignore the latest version of the tax cap sent up to the Legislature by Governor David Paterson. The governor's new program bill includes a gigantic carve-out for teacher retirement costs, which over the next few years will be skyrocketing. Read More
Governor Paterson today announced he's calling "Bold Steps to the New Economy." What's bold about the plan is not immediately apparent; what's new apparently boils down to $100 million in state grants to be doled out "over several years" to attrac Read More