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Blog
State Budget
Pluses Outweigh Minuses in Responsible, On-Time NYS Budget
April 03, 2012
What gets a thumbs up or a thumbs down in the Enacted State Budget for FY2013?
Blog
Education
Improving the Poorly Targeted Proposed School Aid Increase
March 20, 2012
Reviews and recommends changes to the school aid proposal made in the NYS Executive Budget for FY2013.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Pension Reform: Firefighters Will Not Be Running Into Burning Buildings at Age 65
March 06, 2012
Debunks misconception that "Tier VI" proposal would have employees whose duties require certain physical capacities to work until age 65.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
A Reasonable Proposal: Sharing More of the Cost of Public Sector Pensions with Employees
February 15, 2012
Increasing the employee contribution rate for public pensions in New York State is not unreasonable. Comparisons with nationwide norms show proposal would move New York toward the middle of the pack among states.
Blog
City Budget
What’s Different About Next Year’s City Budget
February 09, 2012
Tax revenues are not exceeding expectations; they are just on target.
Blog
Energy & Environment
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Wins the 2012 CBC Prize for Public Service Innovation
February 06, 2012
The Citizens Budget Commission is pleased to announce the winner of its 2012 CBC Prize for Public Service Innovation is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
NY Retirement Systems: Still Out of Line
January 25, 2012
NY requires unusally low rates of employee contribution -- meaning taxpayers largely shoulder the cost of providing pensions, which has grown sharply over the last decade.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
A More Flexible Pension Plan
January 25, 2012
Part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “Tier VI” proposal to make pension benefits for public employees of New York’s State and local government more affordable and sustainable over the long term is an optional 401(k)-style plan, already used widely in the private sector and becoming more common in the public sector.
Blog
Health Care
Improving the Way New York Pays for Medicaid
January 24, 2012
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposals for fiscal year 2012-13 include an important first step towards fixing a longstanding flaw in the way New York pays for its Medicaid program.
Blog
State Budget
Jump Starting Performance Management in New York State Government (Again)
January 09, 2012
The SAGE Commission's recommendation represents the third time in the past decade performance measurement and management has been prioritized; let’s hope the third time is the charm.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Simple But Significant
Savings from the Elimination of the Medicare Part B Reimbursement
December 19, 2010
As New York’s elected officials consider options for balancing budgets in the face of record deficits, they should eliminate a public employee fringe benefit rarely offered anywhere else: reimbursement for Medicare Part B premiums.
Blog
City Budget
Delaying the Pain
The truth about cost-cutting in New York City's November Plan
December 15, 2010
A closer look at the City November 2011 savings plan reveals two notable points: Nearly two-thirds consists of new revenue, and expenditure cuts are modest, although health, welfare, libraries and cultural institutions bear most of the burden.
Blog
Capital Spending
When Will the Capital Budget Cuts Really Arrive?
December 09, 2010
Failure to impose fiscal austerity on the infrastructure agenda is evident in growing levels of capital commitments.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
What is OPEB and Why Does it Cost $9.4 Billion?
December 05, 2010
The true cost of retiree health insurance and "other postemployment benefits," or OPEB, was $9.4 billion in fiscal year 2010. Why it cost so much and what should be done about it.
Blog
Public Workforce
A Closer Look at Paterson's Proposed Layoffs
October 31, 2010
Review Governor Paterson's plan to lay off state workers and allow additional positions to be vacated.
Blog
State Budget
About Last Night: The Good News and the Bad
August 03, 2010
Review the State budget deal for FY2011: it partially addresses the current year deficit, but leaves fundamental issues unaddressed, and contains substantial risky elements.
Blog
Capital Spending
Mind the Gap
Funding Repair and Maintenance of New York City Infrastructure
July 26, 2010
Past neglect has created a need for nearly $5.6 billion in repair of existing facilities in New York City in order to bring them to satisfactory condition, known as a "state of good repair." Yet the City's capital budget allocates only about half, with the gap especially large for streets, hospitals, and parks.
Blog
City Budget
The City’s FY 2011 Budget: The Buck Stops Here
July 12, 2010
With significant budget gaps looming in the outyears and the end of nearly a decade of multi-billion dollar surpluses, it is disappointing that more has not been done to lower spending.
Blog
City Budget
The Beginning of the End of Balanced Budgets for New York City?
June 23, 2010
What ought to be considered a dramatic reversal of a highly praised policy has been buried in an arcane legal change made by the Legislature at the request of the Mayor, allowing the city to borrow for pollution remediation.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Not so sweet
June 20, 2010
While the State and local governments struggle to pay for current salaries and fringe benefits of public employees and to fully fund the pension system for retirees - resorting to a "borrowing" scheme to stretch out required payments - the State Legislature has remained undeterred in introducing and acting upon bills that would add even more costs in the 2010 session.