New Yorkers now can scrutinize more state pork-barrel spending details than ever, thanks to a newly expanded feature on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Recipient names and amounts for nearly 4,000 state grants totaling more than $600 million, including more than 500 approved on the final day of the 2015 legislative session, were added to SeeThroughNY today. Read More
State officials have not released formal estimates of how much revenue will be available for next year's spending plan, ignoring a 2007 law that was designed to bring transparency to the budget process. Read More
Hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars goes towards cars for state Assembly members. Last year, the state spent almost $300,000 of your tax money on cars issued to members of the state Assembly. There are 11 elected Assembly members, eight Repu Read More
State lawmakers have been dipping into a new fund of legislative earmarks, spending millions of dollars on everything from renovating parks and playgrounds to hotels over the last three years. Read More
Over the past three years, the state budget has set aside about $1.1 billion into a program to fund local projects across the state. But critics say the program is lacking oversight. Read More
The New York State Assembly spent $325,404 in taxpayer funds to purchase, maintain and fuel vehicles for use by members and staff during its most recent six-month reporting period, according to expenditure data added today to SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency website. Read More
New York State’s $1 billion capital project slush fund is dispensing borrowed money across the state outside public scrutiny, but two local governments have inadvertently given New Yorkers a glimpse of its inner workings. Read More
The Cuomo administration and the state Legislature have begun dishing out grants from a secretive $1.1 billion capital slush fund—all of which will be borrowed money—with no disclosure of project sponsorship or award criteria. Read More