Research

The state comptroller's cash report for the first quarter ought to be coming out any day now -- perhaps as soon as today.  Tax collections through June are likely to have fallen below the April 1 projections for the quarter, feeding the widespread a Read More

New York's state tax base would take another huge hit under over the next 10 years. Our on the tax plans of the presidential candidates explained that changes in federal tax rates have a direct impact on the income tax revenues of New York State Read More

Goldman Sachs its earnings today, with a $3.4 billion profit for the quarter. For the three months of the year ended in June, Goldman's spending on workers' salaries and benefits was up 47 percent from the , to $6.6 billion. This compensation spen Read More

The Empire State will "shell out nearly $1 million to construct signs to put up near stimulus-funded projects, just to tell us it's a stimulus-funded project," .  Governor Paterson doesn't seem to have a problem with it, though. Read More

Here's a rule of thumb for interpreting news media coverage of state and local fiscal crises: the further away the crisis is, the more likely the news account will portray the officials reponsible as victims of economic forces beyond their control.  Read More

Before staggering away from Albany last week, the state Senate delivered a pleasant surprise for taxpayers -- rejecting a well-intentioned but badly designed bill that would have allowed the state and local governments to borrow billions from the state pension system while potentially compounding financial risks for generations to come. Read More

It seems likely the will take up and re-pass all the bills approved during its legally questionable June 30 "session," perhaps as soon as this evening.  While the governor and others have described the bills awaiting Senate action for the past month Read More