This quotes Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver as saying the agreed-upon property tax cap will expire in five years. If that's true, the cap is not worth the paper it's written on--since, as explained and , one house of the Legislature will be able Read More
The Mercatus Center at George Mason University has released its index. New York is dead last overall, and last, too, on economic and fiscal freedom. The report, by William Ruger of Texas State University and Jason Sorens at the University of Buff Read More
The and Albany both report today that Governor Andrew Cuomo's proposed public pension changes may include an optional defined-contribution retirement plan. (See Update below.) Read More
The Empire State is next to last -- just above California -- in a new ranking by corporate chief executive officers of "Best and Worst States for Business." Read More
Taxpayers from around the state held a small but boisterous rally in Albany today to show support for Governor Cuomo’s proposed 2% property tax cap, which has been passed in the state Senate but is stalled in the Assembly. Read More
Bob Scardamalia of RLS Demographics, Inc., longtime state demographic guru and current data consultant to the Empire Center, has issued a useful summary of the recently released U.S. Census numbers for for New York. Read More
Did someone say "mandate relief"? The Suffolk County Legislature is actually begging the state for another potentially costly collective bargaining mandate. Read More
New York State will spend at a rate of more than $250,000 per minute under its newly adopted budget for fiscal 2011-12, which begins today. Read More