“Proactive disclosure” of public information on the Internet is the next logical step in the evolution of government transparency, according to the Empire Center for New York State Policy, which today released model legislation to make it a reality. Read More
Filing a Freedom of Information Law request can be a needlessly lengthy and frustrating process for one taxpayer filing just one request. Read More
New York's state and local governments offer the nation's second highest "pension replacement rate" -- the percentage of preretirement income covered by an employee's pension -- according to a new study cited in today's New York Times. Read More
"NYC Government Workers Paid Less Than Private Sector Peers," is the headline on today's press release from Comptroller John Liu's office. But the truth is actually much more complex and "difficult to generalize," as the study in question acknowledges... Read More
New York motorists afflicted with fuel pump sticker shock might take some consolation from this handy Empire Center Data Bank chart, indicating that the $3.70 average price of regular gasoline in the Empire State is only fifth highest in the country. Read More
Should New York's temporary personal income tax hike on high-income households be extended beyond its scheduled expiration at the end of this year? Former state Assemblyman Richard Brodsky and I took opposite sides on this question in a segment on... Read More
That's the argument in this provocative City Journal essay by D.J. Jaffe, who says the "skewed priorities" of the state Office of Mental Health are actually preventing the delivery of adequate care to the most seriously mentally ill. Jaffe warns that... Read More
New York’s expensive Medicaid program provides generous long-term care benefits to a large number of recipients. Although Medicaid eligibility is means-tested, with limits on both income and assets, the program nevertheless pays for most professional long-term care services in the state. Read More
Governor Cuomo proposed a cap on Superintendent salaries earlier this week, but as it relates to bringing school district spending down, it’s the equivalent of trying to chop down a tree with nail clippers. Read More
Although his proposed property tax cap will put pressure on counties, municipalities and schools to reduce their costs, Gov. Cuomo has punted the related issue of mandate relief to a "redesign team" comprised of stakeholders including representatives... Read More
States are finding it more difficult to accurately predict their revenues--and "the biggest culprit" is an increasing reliance on personal income taxes, according to a new report from the Pew Center on the States and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute... Read More
A broad, tight cap on local property taxes is a central element of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s agenda for making New York State more affordable and competitive. The governor’s tax cap has passed in the state Senate with strong bipartisan support. Its fate will ultimately be decided in the state Assembly. Read More