More On Advocacy
Search Within Advocacy
Showing 481 - 500 of 500
Letter
Economic Development
CBC and Others Urge the State Legislature to Reform Empire Zones
February 11, 2009
This letter to the State Legislature, written in conjunction with the NYS AFL-CIO, the Metropolitan Development Association of Syracuse and Central New York and the Partnership for New York City, is in support of Governor David Paterson's proposal to scale back the almost $600 million-a-year Empire Zone Program.
Letter
State Budget
Recommendations for FY 2009-2010 State Budget
February 02, 2009
This letter to the state legislature suggests two strategic directions to guide budget policy and offers a roadmap that avoids harmful tax increases and makes spending better serve New Yorkers by suggesting reforms in five key areas: Medicaid, school aid, correctional facilities, public employee benefits, and programs like STAR and Empire Zones.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
State Can't Afford Overly Generous Pensions
January 31, 2009
Written by CBC President Carol Kellermann and President and CEO of the Business Council of New York City Kenneth Adams, this op-ed outlines Governor David Paterson’s proposed measures in response to the challenges associated with such a high-cost fringe benefit system.
Letter
Transportation
Letter to the Governor Regarding Ravitch Commission
January 28, 2009
In this letter CBC agrees, for the most part, with a report released by the Commission on Metropolitan Transportation Authority Financing but offers suggestions for improvement. Specifically, CBC supports legislation to implement the Commission’s core recommendations (with revision), which are highlighted in the testimony.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
NYC's Out-Of-Control Labor Costs
January 12, 2009
Written in conjunction with the report “Six-Figure Civil Servants: Average Compensation Cost Of New York City Public Employees,” which showed that the average compensation costs of full-time City employees was $106,743 in the last fiscal year, this op-ed by CBC President Carol Kellermann suggests three steps to be taken immediately to avoid jeopardizing the City’s economy and its services.
Testimony
Capital Spending
Testimony on Public-Private Partnerships
Delivered to the Commission on State Asset Maximization
January 07, 2009
The testimony offers guidelines for the application of public-private partnerships (PPPs or P3s), suggests areas in which PPPs can be used in New York, and warns against and explains potential pitfalls in the application of PPPs.
Op Ed
Transportation
The MTA: Who'll Pay?
December 02, 2008
This op-ed by CBC President Carol Kellermann and Research Director Charles Brecher proposes the most equitable division of responsibility for mass transit in the metro area. CBC believes that the appropriate balance among riders, car and truck drivers, and the general public (in the form of tax subsidies) is about 50/25/25.
Op Ed
State Budget
Budget Busters
August 18, 2008
CBC President Carol Kellermann discusses Governor David Paterson's offer of a menu of more than $1 billion in savings proposals from which he challenged legislators to select $600 million worth when they convened in Albany for a special session.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Paterson Must Veto Pocket-Picking Mandate
June 26, 2008
The Legislature recently passed a bill -- A9393A/S6457A -- that would prevent local officials from achieving savings in the skyrocketing cost of providing health insurance for government retirees and their dependents by prohibiting any reduction in benefits.
Letter
City Budget
Letter to the FCB on GASB 49 Requirements
Submitted to the Financial Control Board
April 29, 2008
Any deferral from meeting GASB 49 standards on pollution remediation should be limited to one year.
Op Ed
State Budget
Overhaul Prisons to Cut Costs
February 18, 2008
One place where the State can extract savings is in its prison system, an option that this op-ed discusses. New York simply does not need all 69 of its correctional facilities.
Op Ed
Transportation
This is a Smart, Fair Fare Hike
December 16, 2007
This op-ed expresses support for an MTA fare hike. MTA riders are best served by a transit system that is affordable as well as reliable, safe and accessible. Freezing fares may be politically attractive, but it would do a disservice to riders by hurting service and threatening the MTA's future.
Op Ed
State Budget
An Easy Trim
December 15, 2007
This op-ed states that if State leaders want to avoid tax increases in what is already one of the most heavily taxed states in the nation, they will need to find savings of about $6 billion to $7 billion per year over the next three years.
Op Ed
Taxes
Overtaxing New York's Businesses
July 04, 2007
In this op-ed published in the New York Sun, CBC Research Director Charles Brecher examines the extraordinary number and variety of business taxes in New York City and their detrimental effect on the City's economic competitiveness.
Op Ed
State Budget
NY Budget: Better Luck Next Year
April 18, 2007
In this op-ed published in the New York Post, CBC President Diana Fortuna writes that, while the 2007-2008 New York State budget negotiations resulted in a few modest reforms, the budget process is still highly dysfunctional, and New Yorkers are still the nation's most heavily taxed people.
Op Ed
State Budget
A Decent Start: Albany's First Fiscal Fixes
January 23, 2007
In this op-ed published in the New York Post, CBC Research Director Charles Brecher commends Governor Spitzer and the State Legislature for agreeing on legislation that aims to enhance the timeliness and transparency of the state budget.
Op Ed
Transportation
Down Bound Train
October 28, 2006
In September 2006, Peter Kalikow, chairman of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, eliminated a five percent fare increase for subways, buses and train on the grounds that revenues are running ahead of schedule. CBC recommends two strategies: 1) a greater commitment to productivity enhancements in order to reduce the rate of cost increases and 2) increasing revenue.
Op Ed
State Budget
Debt Donnybrook: Legislative Battle NY Needs
October 22, 2006
To rein in runaway debt, CBC recommended that State leaders enact four high-priority reforms: 1) Stop issuing State-funded debt to cover operating deficits; 2) Make authorities' borrowing part of the State's capital plan; 3) Institutionalize rigorous financial review of authority borrowing; and 4) Reduce future debt for capital spending.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Time To Trim Pensions of City Workers? Yes.
Getting Rid of Excess is Sound Fiscal Planning
June 10, 2006
CBC commends Mayor Bloomberg's effort to curtail pension costs and explains the generosity of New York City's pension benefits in comparison to various peer groups.
Op Ed
State Budget
NY's Debt Mess
April 24, 2006
As of April 25, 2006, debt accumulated by the State's public authorities exceeded $166 billion, which was nearly three-quarters of the State's outstanding debt. This op-ed explains the problems with the authorities' three types of debt and makes suggestions for reform.