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Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Urges Governor to Veto 20 Benefit Sweeteners
A Letter to the Governor
November 29, 2023
CBC urges you to veto S5027/A5208 and 19 other bills because they enhance benefits and increase costs to New York State and local governments.
Letter
State Budget
CBC Urges Governor to Sign A1926A/S1683A for Home Care Services Data Reporting
A Letter to the Governor
October 27, 2023
CBC recommends that you sign A1926A/S1683A, a bill to require annual reporting on home care services.
Testimony
Education
Testimony on the NYC Department of Education and the City’s FY 2024 Preliminary Budget
Submitted to the New York City Council Committee on Education
March 15, 2023
Understanding the DOE’s budget and spending trends prior to and throughout the pandemic, and the implications for fiscal year 2024 and beyond, is vital to determine how much of the City’s resources should be allocated to the DOE going forward.
Statement
Public Workforce
Statement on the New York City–District Council 37 Tentative Contract Agreement
February 17, 2023
The tentative contract announced today provides raises that are very reasonable given recent and anticipated inflation. The great challenge is how the City will pay for them.
Testimony
Public Workforce
Testimony on the New York City Health Insurance for Employees and Retirees
Submitted to the New York City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor
January 09, 2023
With health insurance costs budgeted to increase at a rate of 8.5 percent between fiscal years 2023 and 2026, efforts to restrain the City’s costs are critical.
Letter
State Budget
CBC Urges Governor to Veto Expensive Benefit Sweeteners
October 12, 2017
CBC calls on Governor Andrew Cuomo to veto 16 bills that would provide expensive enhancements to government employee and retiree benefits.
Testimony
Education
Public Comment on School Planning and Siting Process
Submitted to the NYC Council Working Group on School Planning, Siting, and Overcrowding
May 24, 2017
CBC offers two recommendations for improving the school planning and siting process: maximize use of existing capacity, and target new capacity to areas with the highest need.
Op Ed
City Budget
End de Blasio’s giveaway to bus companies
May 09, 2017
The program was bad policy from the outset-- and was extended for a third year. The City Council should defund it when the budget is adopted.
Statement
Health Care
Statement on the "Collins Amendment"
March 22, 2017
The recent addition of the “Collins Amendment” to the House of Representatives’ American Health Care Act provides a strong incentive for New York’s Governor and Legislature to eliminate the mandated local share of Medicaid costs, a policy change long advocated by the Citizens Budget Commission.
Op Ed
Education
Fix NY's broken formula for distributing school aid
March 22, 2017
How much more funding should New York state provide to Syracuse public schools? A report by the Citizens Budget Commission, for which I was the primary author, says that an increase of $83 million is needed for the City of Syracuse school district.
Op Ed
Education
How Much More State Education Funding Is Needed?
March 08, 2017
With reforms to the way funding is distributed, the State can fund a "sound, basic education" with $569 million more in annual funding.
Testimony
City Budget
Comments on Proposed Small Business Services Rule on Bus Contracts
Pursuant to Section 1301 of the New York City Charter
January 30, 2017
CBC opposes extending the Department of Small Business Services program providing grants to companies that provide school bus transportation in order to maintain the wages and benefits of certain employees for a third year.
Op Ed
Health Care
Fiscal Challenges for NYC's Health and Hospitals Corporation
November 10, 2014
In fiscal year 2013, the Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) ran a deficit of $668 million. Final numbers for fiscal year 2014 have not been released, but the estimated deficit is $645 million.
Statement
Education
Statement Urging City Council to Reject Proposed Grants for School Transportation Employees
August 20, 2014
The City Council should reject proposed legislation that would provide grants to pay higher wages and benefits to certain school transportation service employees than those required by the City's contracts with the private bus companies that employ them.
Op Ed
City Budget
Issues Remain In Mayor de Blasio's New Budget
May 08, 2014
For months, the biggest fiscal uncertainty for the city has been how Mayor de Blasio would handle negotiations with the municipal unions that have been working without contracts.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Doulis: City, Teachers’ Agreement Resolves Major Uncertainty Around City’s Financial Plan
April 30, 2014
The tentative agreement between the city and the teachers union resolves major uncertainty surrounding the city's financial plan and ensures some stability in labor relations with a major segment of the city workforce for the next five years.
Op Ed
Health Care
New York State's Leadership in Providing Health Insurance
April 16, 2014
Amidst the national controversy over the creation of health insurance exchanges or marketplaces, the launch and early months of New York's official health plan marketplace stand out.
Op Ed
State Budget
More Bang For NY's Buck
December 27, 2011
As Governor Cuomo prepares his executive budget, he should seek structral changes that slow down the state's most potent cost-drivers (pensions, school aid and Medicaid), halt additional economic development spending and steer clear of budget tricks. Senior Research Associate Tammy Gamerman pens an op-ed for the New York Post.
Op Ed
Education
Mandate Relief Needed for Special Education in New York
November 06, 2011
New York State imposes more than 200 special education mandates beyond those required by federal law. Many of them translate into higher costs and fuel rapid and unsustainable spending growth.
Testimony
Energy & Environment
Testimony on NYC Solid Waste Management Practices
Submitted to NYC Council Committee on Sanitation & Solid Waste Management
October 27, 2011
New York is being wasteful in its waste management practices. We could save tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions, of dollars without harming the environment by more sensibly managing New Yorkers’ solid waste. An improved system for waste collection and disposal could prevent further reductions in essential services in coming budgets.