Research

In April, the state-run Metropolitan Transportation Authority won Albany's approval for a new, $1.5 billion annual tax on downstate payrolls. Now, the authority, with fresh finance-committee approval this morning, is moving to float a $600 millio Read More

The .  And out of left field, there's this: Ms. Feinstein has threatened to vote against Mr. Obama’s health care bill if it draws funds from high-cost areas like California to low-cost areas of the country. Ms. Feinstein noted that Ca Read More

While it began under bizarre circumstances, the current (apparent, informal) 31-31 deadlock over who should control the New York State Senate is not unprecedented.  Elsewhere around the country, there have been 38 other instances since 1966--includi Read More

That's the message of the Federal Reserve's monthly , released today. For those in search of a silver lining, there's this: Future indexes were generally positive and continued to rise, conveying an expectation that conditions should imp Read More

The Citizens Budget Commission, in , observes that a one-year wage freeze for all 308,000 city employees would save taxpayers a whopping $1.2 billion annually -- not just once, but forever (assuming the city wouldn't make up for it with bigger raise Read More

If the Republican leaders of the newly reconstituted state Senate majority really intend to press for property tax relief before the end of session, they should start by reviving the school property tax cap. But they should ignore the latest version of the tax cap sent up to the Legislature by Governor David Paterson. The governor's new program bill includes a gigantic carve-out for teacher retirement costs, which over the next few years will be skyrocketing. Read More

Governor Paterson today announced he's calling "Bold Steps to the New Economy."  What's bold about the plan is not immediately apparent; what's new apparently boils down to $100 million in state grants to be doled out "over several years" to attrac Read More

Has the Paterson Administration just deprived itself of crucial leverage over the largest state employee unions during two challenging fiscal years ahead?  It sure sounds that way, if the unions themselves are to be believed. Read More

Governor Paterson is reportedly close to striking a deal with state employee labor unions under which the governor will drop his plan to layoff off over 7,000 state workers in exchange for the unions' acquiescence to (a) Read More

Today's Times features about the new charter school in Washington Heights, which will pay teachers $125,000 when it opens next fall.  But six-figure teachers are not unprecedented in the Big Apple--or elsewhere in New York. New York City Read More