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Testimony
Housing
Testimony on the Mayor's Housing Proposals
Submitted to the City Planning Commission
December 17, 2015
Options for increasing the efficient use of land, reducing construction costs, and effectively using cross-subsidies should be explored to maximize the amount of affordable housing that can be produced.
Statement
Transportation
Statement on MTA Funding Agreement
October 09, 2015
The announcement of an agreement for funding the MTA’s 2015-2019 capital plan is an important step in maintaining and enhancing the region’s most vital transportation assets. However, additional steps must be taken.
Op Ed
Transportation
Funding the MTA Capital Plan: Avoiding a False Choice
July 30, 2015
Funding the next five-year capital plan for the MTA is a priority for the NYC region, and fortunately the funding gap has narrowed. The real question should be: how much funding should come from motorists versus taxpayers and commuters?
Statement
Transportation
Statement Regarding Ongoing Discussions of MTA Capital Plan
July 24, 2015
Debating how to apportion funding for the remaining $9.8 billion gap between “the City” and “the State” is counterproductive. Funding for mass transit should be defined as coming from three sources: fares, tax subsidies, and motor vehicle cross-subsidies.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Fringe Benefits Challenge New York School Budgets
July 20, 2015
The problems facing school districts are complex, but one common challenge is the unrelenting rise in fringe benefit costs.
Letter
Transportation
CBC Encourages Governor Cuomo to Veto Costly Free Transfers
July 13, 2015
This letter urges rejecting a bill (A2607/S3228) that would cost the MTA $40 million annually.
Letter
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Encourages Governor Cuomo to Veto Four Pension Sweeteners
July 13, 2015
This letter calls for vetoing four pension sweeteners (A7490/S3010, A6771A/S4907, A5327C/S3948B, and A7547/S5785) that would begin to undo savings from hard-won pension reforms.
Letter
Economic Development
CBC Urges Governor Cuomo to Improve Practices of Industrial Development Agencies
July 13, 2015
This letter calls on the Governor to sign A7915/S5867, which would improve the effectiveness of millions of dollars in tax breaks awarded by Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs).
Statement
State Budget
Statement on New York State End of Session Agreement
June 25, 2015
The resolution (albeit short term for some) of several issues of great importance to New York - 421a, rent regulation, the property tax cap, and mayoral control of schools - is welcome news. However, the last minute addition of large spending commitments is fiscally troubling.
Statement
City Budget
Statement on FY16 Adopted Budget for New York City
June 22, 2015
The FY 16 adopted budget announced by the Mayor and the Council this evening adds approximately $200 million in spending for additional police, social service providers and other programs.
Op Ed
City Budget
New York City Should Be Cautious About Increasing Its Debt
June 16, 2015
New York City has more outstanding debt than ever before, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has proposed a 10-year capital plan that will increase it substantially.
Op Ed
City Budget
The New York City Housing Authority's Bold Plan Deserves Support
May 27, 2015
Mayor Bill de Blasio and Shola Olatoye, Chair and CEO of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), released a 10-year roadmap called "NextGeneration NYCHA". The roadmap is a bold plan that deserves to be supported.
Op Ed
Transportation
How to Pay for the MTA
May 22, 2015
The MTA is vital to the region’s economic well-being. Its mass transit services, seven bridges, and two tunnels comprise a $1 trillion asset.
Testimony
Capital Spending
Testimony On Ten-Year Capital Strategy and Capital Budget
Delivered to NY City Council Committee on Finance
May 18, 2015
The Mayor's Ten-Year Capital Strategy totals $83.8 billion- a $30 billion increase from the prior plan. CBC has two main concerns about the Strategy: there is insufficient information available to judge the investments, and the investments will add to the City’s high debt burden.
Statement
City Budget
Statement on Mayor de Blasio's Executive Budget for FY 2016
May 07, 2015
The continuing strong performance of the local economy provides a favorable context for the Executive Budget released by Mayor Bill de Blasio.
Op Ed
City Budget
The Importance of Increasing Efficiency in New York City Government
April 26, 2015
Mayor Bill de Blasio has thus far declined to require city agencies to meet targets for increasing efficiency in the delivery of government services. In doing so, he has broken a pattern established by every mayor since the fiscal crisis in the 1970s, and he's taking a gamble that may come back to haunt the city's taxpayers.
Op Ed
Transportation
To Fund The Subways, Charge Drivers More
And A Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Tax Should Be Part Of The Equation
April 02, 2015
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs about $32 billion over the next five years to repair, replace and improve its facilities, notably the vast and essential mass transit system. It only has about $13 billion. The $19 billion hole requires a new way of thinking about how we fund mass transit.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony Examining Health Care Savings Under Recent Collective Bargaining Agreements
Delivered to the NYC Council Committee on Finance
April 01, 2015
Savings that would have normally been reserved for general budget needs—such as funding libraries or maintaining public parks—and are attributable to a national slowdown in health care costs, are now being credited to the health savings agreement.
Op Ed
Economic Development
What's the Return on Investment for New York's Economic Development Efforts?
March 22, 2015
New York State's economic development programs have long been the subject of debate because it is difficult to measure the benefits they produce. Are the State's considerable investments worthwhile? Although their political value is clear, their economic value is not.
Letter
State Budget
Recommendations on the FY 2016 Executive Budget
February 25, 2015
CBC's recommendations to the State legislature cover six proposals that deserve support, three proposals that should be improved, and three proposals that should be rejected.