The Empire Center is participating in "Sunshine Week," a nationwide effort to promote government transparency. Check back during the week to see our latest releases. Read More
Tag: Legislature
State lawmakers have not lost their appetite for pork. The Senate and Assembly have stuffed millions of dollars in pork-barrel-type spending into nonbinding budget resolutions adopted Thursday — despite the fact that that governors have not allowed new legislative “member items” in the budget since 2010. Read More
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and the State Legislature are ensnarled in a fight behind closed doors that will shape not only this year's $149.9 billion budget, but the balance of power in Albany for years to come. Read More
“It comes down to how you feel about the ends justifying the means,” says Albany watchdog E.J. McMahon of the Empire Center for Public Policy. “Think of the worst thing you can think of a governor trying to do, then picture him trying to do it through an appropriation bill.” Read More
There’s a key component missing from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s plan to “cut” property taxes: It doesn’t cut them at all. Read More
Four years of on-time budgets is an accomplishment Governor Andrew Cuomo loves to mention, but this year could be different. Cuomo is pushing lawmakers to adopt stringent ethics legislation as part of the budget agreement. If they don't reach a deal by the April 1 deadline, a government shutdown is possible. Read More
One of the hallmarks of ride-sharing services like Uber is their practice of temporarily boosting prices to encourage more drivers to accept fares. It’s supply and demand at its simplest, and while critics have derided this price mechanism, anyone giving flowers to their valentine today is living proof that “surge pricing” benefits both providers and consumers. Read More
The complete 2014 New York state government payroll is now posted on SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s government spending transparency website. Read More