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
In 2008, the state Metropolitan Transportation Authority employed 539 police officers who were paid an average of $96,553, including overtime and shift differentials. A salary database of all 78,393 MTA employees during 2008 -- searchable by na Read More
The . And out of left field, there's this: Ms. Feinstein has threatened to vote against Mr. Obama’s health care bill if it draws funds from high-cost areas like California to low-cost areas of the country. Ms. Feinstein noted that Ca Read More
Congress is set to approve an add-on to the February stimulus law that will allow public-transit agencies, including New York's state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority, to spend 10 percent of their stimulus money on operating costs, rather th Read More
That's the message of the Federal Reserve's monthly , released today. For those in search of a silver lining, there's this: Future indexes were generally positive and continued to rise, conveying an expectation that conditions should imp 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
Has the Paterson Administration just deprived itself of crucial leverage over the largest state employee unions during two challenging fiscal years ahead? It sure sounds that way, if the unions themselves are to be believed. Read More
, in addition to an average 10 percent reduction already experienced by employees under an unpaid furlough program. Meanwhile, in New York, most state workers just received a 3 percent wage increase, and . At least 42 state lawmakers, in Read More