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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.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Commends State Legislators' Vote Against School District Borrowing
June 29, 2011
CBC sent a letter of commendation to the State Legislators who voted against school district borrowing for pension contributions (A6309/S4067).
Op Ed
State Budget
Improving New York's Fiscal Report Card Further
June 27, 2011
CBC President Carol Kellermann pens an op-ed congratulating the Governor and State Legislature on a productive session, but says more needs to be done on fiscal matters.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Inquiry About the Health Insurance Premium Stabilization Fund
June 27, 2011
CBC Letter to Comptroller John Liu asking three questions about the Health Insurance Stabilization Fund (HISF) and calling for an audit.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Pension Proposal: A Fiscal Remedy for New York
June 16, 2011
CBC President Carol Kellermann explains the need for pension reform in New York and why Governor Cuomo’s plan puts the State and the City on the road to good fiscal health.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
NYC's Choice
June 05, 2011
Amid its budget crisis, the city is on track to lay off teachers, close fire companies, cut social services and impose other sacrifices. Yet such reductions could be avoided if the city reformed its unusually costly commitments for retiree health insurance and brought them in line with those of other public-sector employers.
Op Ed
Education
Give SUNY and CUNY More Control of Tuition
May 09, 2011
CBC Research Associate Selma Mustovic pens an op-ed which advocates to establish a more rational tuition policy and greater regulatory freedom for New York's entire system of public higher education.
Op Ed
State Budget
Filling in Cuomo's Budget Blanks
February 05, 2011
Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive budget released last Tuesday was a welcome change. Breaking with past practice in Albany, he proposed closing the state's budget gap with $9 billion worth of serious belt-tightening.
Testimony
Health Care
Testimony on Reforming Medicaid
Submitted to the NY State Medicaid Redesign Team
January 28, 2011
Savings can be achieved without denying needed care to low income New Yorkers through three strategies: (1) reducing non‐competitive rates paid to institutional providers; (2) rationalizing utilization of services; (3) tightening eligibility rules and practices to curb the misuse of Medicaid by middle and higher income families for long‐term care.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
NYC's Gold-Plated Worker Perks
December 20, 2009
CBC President Carol Kellermann discusses a new survey from the CBC and the Partnership for New York City that reveals that municipal employee pension and health-insurance benefits are out of balance with the job market.
Op Ed
State Budget
Bolster Budget
Pare Spending, Reform Pensions, Protect MTA
July 26, 2009
This op-ed was the CBC's contribution to a series of short op-ed's submitted by advocates around the state to Crain's New York Business. Here the CBC strikes at the core issues that severely impact the State's budget.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Commends Legislators Who Voted Against Postponing Pension Contributions
July 14, 2009
CBC commends legislators for voting against A9037/S52204, a bill that would have allowed state and local governments to postpone paying the full required annual contributions to their employee pension funds.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Encourages Legislatures to Avoid Pension Sweetener Legislation
June 02, 2009
This letter notifies the Legislature that the CBC has issued a "Pension Sweetener Scorecard" that tracks legislative and gubernatorial actions regarding pension benefits and highlights those actions for the media and the public. These sweeteners are often enacted over the objections of elected heads of local governments and always at the expense of taxpayers.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Urges the Governor to Veto a Benefit Sweetener for Police and Firefighters
May 29, 2009
This letter from the CBC urges the Governor to veto A3426/S1409, a bill that would extend Tier II provisions to all police officers and firefighters who join a public retirement system on or after July 1, 2009 to July 1, 2011.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Urges Governor Paterson to Veto Costly Mandate for Retired Teachers
May 12, 2009
This letter from the CBC urges the Governor to veto A4628, a bill that would renew the provision that prohibits school districts from reducing the health insurance benefits offered to retirees unless the changes are approved by the local teachers union.
Testimony
Education
Testimony on Improving the NYC Department of Education's Fiscal Transparency
Submitted to the NY City Council's Joint Education and Contract Committee
April 11, 2009
CBC submits this written testimony to the City Council joint Education and Contracts Committee hearing on oversight of the Department of Education's contracting and procurement process; CBC has two recommendations to increase accountability and transparency with regard to all of DOE’s fiscal operations, including contracting and procurement.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Pension Poison Pills
April 06, 2009
This op-ed, released in conjunction with the report “The Explosion in Pension Costs: 10 Things New Yorkers Should Know About Retirement Benefits for New York City Employees,” highlights facts that taxpayers should know about the cost of retirement benefits for New York City employees.
Letter
State Budget
10 Do's and Don'ts for Spending the Federal Stimulus Funds
February 25, 2009
This letter to the Legislature warns that the federal aid to New York is limited and temporary, suggests ten do’s and don’ts for using the federal funds and closing the budget gap while avoiding harmful cuts and tax increases, and highlights possible allocation of the funds.