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Letter
Capital Spending
CBC Urges Governor to Sign S199B/A4010B to Improve Capital Planning
A Letter to the Governor
December 13, 2021
CBC recommends that you sign S199B/A4010B, which would improve capital planning and reporting for transportation infrastructure in New York State.
Testimony
Economic Development
Testimony on the Penn Station Area Civic and Land Use Improvement Project
Submitted to Empire State Development
December 08, 2021
Individually and collectively, these projects could contribute to New York’s long-term competitiveness and well-being.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony on Oversight of Changes to Municipal Retirees’ Health Care Plan
Testimony before the City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor
October 28, 2021
This agreement starts right and then veers off course to miss the finish line because the resulting savings do not flow to the City’s bottom line.
Letter
Transportation
Groups Urge Governor to Sign the MTA Open Data Act
A Letter to the Governor
October 14, 2021
The legislation is a common-sense step to increase transparency and improve efficiency at the largest state public authority.
Testimony
State Budget
Testimony on New School Aid Spending and Performance
Testimony submitted to the New York State Senate Committees on Education, New York City Education, and Budget and Revenue
October 05, 2021
New York State should ensure that this massive school funding increase drives results and target school aid to districts with the greatest needs.
Testimony
Transportation
Testimony on the MTA’s Finances and Operations
Testimony before the Senate Standing Committee on Corporations, Authorities and Commissions; and the Senate Standing Committee on Transportation
September 29, 2021
The MTA is facing a long-term structural deficit of approximately $2.7 billion annually, meaning its recurring income from fares, tolls, and other sources will be roughly $2.7 billion less than the recurring expenditures needed to run the system.
Testimony
Transportation
Testimony on Congestion Pricing Implementation
Submitted to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority
September 23, 2021
When the MTA determines the policies and implements congestion pricing, it should follow six recommendations:
Op Ed
Public Workforce
Early Retirement Incentives for City Workers Is Foolhardy and Expensive
Crain’s New York Business
April 15, 2021
New York state has just authorized New York City to offer most civilian employees an incentive to retire early. The city should flatly reject this opportunity.
Statement
Transportation
Statement on the Metropolitan Transportation Sustainability Advisory Workgroup Report
December 18, 2018
The Metropolitan Transportation Sustainability Advisory Workgroup Report released today provides a sober look at the fiscal and managerial challenges facing the MTA.
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.
Letter
Capital Spending
City Should Evaluate Project Labor Agreements
Letter to Mayor de Blasio
July 05, 2018
With the Capital Commitment Plan now topping $82 billion, it is more important than ever to find ways to reduce costs and speed up project delivery.
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
Transportation
Four years after 'Bridgegate,' Port's fiefdoms are coming back
Crain's New York Business
May 30, 2018
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is a crucial agency, but it is badly governed and in need of reform.
Statement
Transportation
Statement on MTA's "Fast Forward" Plan
May 23, 2018
Fast Forward, a plan to modernize New York City Transit presented by President Andy Byford today, is a serious and praiseworthy plan to improve the region's mass transit network.
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
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.
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.