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Busting the cap
The budget crisis in New York’s Medicaid program stems from the failure of a key cost-control measure adopted during Governor Cuomo’s first term. In 2011, Cuomo and the Legislature imposed a “global cap” on state Medicaid spending that was tied to the medical inflation rate. The measure showed signs of working at first, but lost its effectiveness as circumstances changed, loopholes multiplied and compliance faltered.
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Commercial Cash
School districts across New York are constrained from fully exploiting a potential source of revenue to help offset pressure on local taxes. The revenue source in question is commercial advertising—including signs, sponsorships and facility naming rights, especially for athletic facilities.
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Empire IdeasView All
Empire Ideas is a series of policy papers focusing on topics of concern to local governments. Our goal in this project is to help elected officials, local taxpayer groups, community associations and concerned taxpayers explore ways of improving the quality and cost-effectiveness of local government.
Data View All
Empire Center's Data section now includes over 50 different data sets in seven categories that measure and rank New York's state and local taxes, spending, debt and economic competitiveness.