New York’s public-pension system has become the epicenter of an in fluence-peddling scandal that has at tracted the attention of the SEC as well as state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. But the millions in shady “placement fees” pocketed by a few politically connected middlemen are small change compared with the mushrooming cost of lavish pension benefits for state and local government retirees. Read More
Research
Wall Street may have one last party, and it could come at the expense of its hometown and home state getting their houses in order. New York could better get on with life if President Obama and Congress would figure out how they're going to approac Read More
Last week, Fiscal Watch if the $3.2 billion in IOUs that the State of California is issuing in lieu of cash payments are Constituti Read More
Today’s New York Times that state and local government tax-funded pension contributions in New York may triple over the next five years should come as no surprise to anyone who has made an effort to understand the current system and its p Read More
California is printing up $3.2 billion worth of "IOUs" to send to vendors and to people expecting cash payments from the state, including taxpayers due rebates for overpayment. Is this legal? Read More
Via the redoubtable , recently released Census data on state and local public pension systems show that, compared to national averages, New York government employees directly contribute a much smaller share of their own retirement costs. And that's Read More
Wall Street’s woes leave the state no choice but to slash spending. David Paterson took the oath as governor of New York on March 17, 2008, succeeding the disgraced Eliot Spitzer on the same day that Bear Stearns collapsed. Read More
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
China is likely to set up a new stock market through which smaller companies can access domestic and possibly international capital, the Financial Times reports. Read More
As part of the February stimulus package, Washington offered new inducement for municipalities to issue taxable bonds. The program may have the effect of pushing up tax rates for the wealthy. Read More
That mindlessly right-wing rag, The New York Times, has that makes a simple and salient point about New York City pensions. If Albany won't cooperate on real pension reform, one good way for the mayor to keep pension costs down is to contro Read More