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Testimony
Education
Testimony on the New Department of Education Five-Year Capital Plan
Submitted to a Joint Hearing of the City Council Committees on Education and Finance and Subcommittee on the Capital Budget
December 18, 2018
City officials cannot continue to expect the City can build its way to a solution; making real progress will require implementing operational strategies that alter the use of space and redirect students to facilities with capacity.
Statement
Housing
Statement on the New York City Housing Authority's NYCHA 2.0 Plan
December 12, 2018
The New York City Housing Authority's (NYCHA's) NYCHA 2.0 plan can help stabilize the system and deserves support.
Op Ed
Economic Development
The Smart Money on Amazon
Strengths and weaknesses in the Long Island City deal
November 23, 2018
As New Yorkers search for Black Friday deals, including on Amazon, we are also scrutinizing the deal offered to the retail giant to come to Long Island City.
Statement
Housing
Statement on NYCHA's Expansion of PACT
November 16, 2018
Expanding public-private partnerships is a big step in the right direction, and more needs to be done to put NYCHA on sounder footing.
Testimony
Housing
Testimony on the NYCHA Physical Needs Assessment
Submitted to the New York City Council Committee on Public Housing
November 15, 2018
NYCHA has an astounding $32 billion in capital needs, a nearly fivefold increase over the last decade. Today nearly all its properties require substantial rehabilitation.
Op Ed
Housing
In Need of Partners
Affordability Gap Too Large for New York City to Cover Alone
October 17, 2018
The City's committment to create and preserve affordable housing units and make critical repairs at NYCHA is unprecedented. But can this effort address affordability for all rent-burdened New Yorkers?
Letter
Economic Development
Veto Ten Bills That Expand Economic Development Programs
A Letter to the Governor
August 14, 2018
The Governor should veto ten bills that would expand the State’s economic development programs. Three of the bills would expand or enrich existing programs, six bills would create a new targeted program, and one bill would create a new broad program.
Statement
Housing
Statement on NYCHA Physical Needs Assessment
July 02, 2018
Radical changes need to be undertaken immediately
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Pension sweeteners a bitter prospect for New York City
New York Daily News
June 15, 2018
The City Council adopted a budget for fiscal year 2019 that totals almost $90 billion. Almost $10 billion will be devoted to pensions for public employees, and the amount is projected to grow. And yet, for some, this is not enough.
Op Ed
City Budget
How New York City Can Afford Fair Fares
Slowing the growth of the city’s workforce would provide the needed savings
April 16, 2018
The Fair Fares proposal can be accommodated within the city budget by exercising greater restraint in hiring and more aggressively tackling inefficiencies in its operations.
Op Ed
Economic Development
The State Budget Keeps Wasting Economic Development Cash
City & State
April 06, 2018
As the New York state budget was being adopted by the Legislature this weekend, some legislators objected to a $3 million appropriation for an upstate luxury golf tournament deemed to be an economic development initiative.
Op Ed
Transportation
Latest value capture proposal could harm NYC
City taxes should not be diverted to the MTA without local input
March 22, 2018
While value capture makes sense in theory, any such arrangement should be tailored to specific projects and circumstances - with the agreement of the City.
Op Ed
Education
New York keeps shortchanging poor students
And Cuomo’s Foundation Aid formula will do little to fix it
March 19, 2018
Fixing the existing Foundation Aid formula would allow the state to fully fund a sound basic education with current resources.
Letter
Housing
NYCHA's Project Labor Agreement Needs Evaluation
A Letter to the Mayor and NYCHA Chair
March 05, 2018
Has the PLA between NYCHA and the BCTC delivered on expected savings? An evaluation is needed before any decision to renew the PLA.
Testimony
Economic Development
NYCEDC 2018 and Beyond: Borough-by-Borough in the Next Four Years
Testimony before the New York City Council Committee on Economic Development
February 06, 2018
How can EDC improve its performance in 2018?
Letter
Economic Development
Watchdog Groups: Freeze Business Subsidies Until Major Reforms Adopted
A Letter to the Governor and Legislative Leaders
January 18, 2018
The Governor should reject any new economic development and business subsidies until major anti-corruption and transparency reforms are put in place.
Op Ed
Economic Development
New York needs better return on economic investments
Albany Times Union
January 17, 2018
While upcoming corruption trials may provide a revealing behind the scenes look at state operations, they should not distract from the pressing need to reform the state's approach to economic development in this legislative session.
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.