A billion dollars is big money in anyone’s book. Especially when those dollars come from you, the taxpayer. That’s how much money the US Railroad Retirement Board says might have been scammed by Long Island Rail Road retirees falsely claiming disability benefits. Read More
The New York Court of Appeals has accepted an appeal from the Empire Center after they were refused access to the names of retired teachers in public pension plans under the Freedom of Information Law. The lower courts agreed with the right of privacy of teacher names. Read More
New York's highest court will soon decide whether the names and benefits of retired teachers in public pension plans should be made public. Read More
GOV. Spitzer and his successor as state attorney general, Andrew Cuomo, both have made some early moves to turn their rhetoric into reality when it comes to expanding the accountability and transparency of government in New York. Read More
Even before it was over, this year's New York state budget process had devolved into a giant step backward for fiscal responsibility, accountability and transparency. Given Albany's already rock-bottom standards in all three areas, this was quite an accomplishment. Read More
As schools open across New York State this week, much of what happens in the classroom will be affected by contracts between school districts and unions representing their teachers. Read More
Payrolls of two of New York’s largest public authorities—the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey and the New York State Thruway Authority—are now available at SeeThroughNY.net, the government transparency website sponsored by the Empire Center for Public Policy. Read More
Members of the state Senate Majority spent an average of 62 percent more on their legislative offices than Minority party members during the six months ending March 31, while Assembly Majority members spent 33 percent more than Minority members during the same period, according to a new searchable database of legislative expenditure reports posted today at SeeThroughNY.net. Read More