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Blog
City Budget
Resist the Temptation
March 22, 2011
It would be imprudent and short-sighted to avoid FY2012 budget cuts making additional withdrawals from the retiree health insurance trust fund.
Blog
Health Care
Medicaid Redesign – Significant Progress On A Tough Task
March 09, 2011
The Medicaid Redesign Team changed the dynamic of Medicaid budgeting by focusing many of the stakeholders on the same goal: controlling spending while improving quality of care. The collaborative process promises to be a useful model as reform efforts continue.
Blog
Taxes
New Revenues and the Path to Sustainable State Spending
March 07, 2011
Since the onset of the national recession the State has relied more extensively on new revenue measures than on recurring spending cuts.
Blog
Health Care
One Good Way to Save More on Medicaid
February 21, 2011
One of the Medicaid Redesign Team's proposals – reforming the state’s payment method for nursing homes – should be strengthened to increase savings and improve care.
Video
Education
CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein
CBC Breakfast Series
February 18, 2011
CBC Breakfast with CUNY Chancellor Matthew Goldstein in February 2011.
Blog
City Budget
The New York City Budget Since the Recession
Seven Rounds of Cuts and the Deepest Still to Come
February 06, 2011
Since 2008, Mayor Bloomberg has implemented seven rounds of cuts to find budget savings, and an eight round is likely due to anticipated reductions in State and federal aid.
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.
Video
Health Care
No Easy Solution: Effective Medicaid Cost Control
A Panel Discussion
January 27, 2011
A recent report by the Citizens Budget Commission (CBC) found that elderly and disabled beneficiaries comprise fewer than one in four Medicaid enrollees in New York but account for nearly three of every four program dollars spent. Achieving cost savings among this population, while preserving access to high-quality services, challenges the State to develop creative strategies beyond blunt rate cuts. The CBC and New York State Health Foundation convened a panel of healthcare experts to explore the ideas expounded in the report.
Testimony
State Budget
Testimony on Improving the State Budgetary Process
Delivered to the Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform
December 17, 2009
In this testimony the CBC assesses the effectiveness of provisions in the New York State Budget Reform Act of 2007 and makes additional recommendations for improving transparency, forecasting, and flexibility.
Report
Pensions & Benefits
Out of Balance
A Comparison of Public and Private Employee Benefits in New York City
December 16, 2009
The CBC and the Partnership for New York City surveyed large private firms in New York City to provide a basis for comparing the health insurance and pension benefits of private sector workers with those of municipal employees.
Op Ed
City Budget
New Priorities for Mayor Bloomberg's Third Term
November 15, 2009
CBC President Carol Kellermann outlines the fiscal priorities that need to be addressed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his third term in this op-ed published in the Huffington Post.
Report
Education
Is It a Good Deal?
How New Yorkers Should Judge The Next Teachers' Contract
November 11, 2009
The New York City teachers’ contract expired on October 31, 2009. A new agreement may be reached soon. As the City faces a $5 billion budget gap for the next fiscal year and key educational reforms remain unfinished, here are key questions parents and taxpayers should ask to judge whether the next contract is a good deal for them.
Video
City Budget
The Buck Stops Here
The 2009 Comptroller Candidate Debate
July 16, 2009
“The Buck Stops Here” - The 2009 Comptroller Candidate Debate.
Report
Housing
Nine Facts New Yorkers Should Know About Rent Regulation
June 23, 2009
This report details nine important facts for the Legislature to keep in mind as rent laws are considered for modification. CBC believes they should be cautious about initiatives to extend the reach of rent regulation. Instead, state leaders should think more broadly about ways to better target assistance to lower income households and to allow the market to work in ways that better allocate housing and expand housing choices for all New Yorkers.
Letter
City Budget
CBC Proposes a New Fiscal Strategy for the City's FY2010 Budget
June 10, 2009
This letter to the mayor, speaker, and chairman of the finance committee outlines four key elements of a new fiscal strategy that would address the structural imbalance in the City's budget due to the ongoing recession.
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.
Report
Pensions & Benefits
The Explosion in Pension Costs
10 Things New Yorkers Should Know About Retirement Benefits for New York City Employees
April 06, 2009
In recent years, one of the fastest growing expenses for New York City government has been retirement benefits for municipal workers. This growth is driven mainly by investment losses in the pension funds and the enrichment of retirement benefits. As New York taxpayers have a critical interest in understanding the reasons behind the explosion in retirement benefit costs and what can be done to limit future liabilities, this report summarizes 10 facts about retirement benefits for New York employees.
Testimony
Taxes
Testimony on NY State Tax System
Delivered to the Senate Committee on Budget and Tax Reform
March 12, 2009
This testimony emphasizes two key points about New York’s personal income tax (PIT) and offers a framework for thinking about tax reform in the current fiscal context: 1) New York’s PIT is progressive, but its overall tax structure is not; and 2) New York’s economic competitiveness should be an important factor in considering changes to its tax rates.
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.
Letter
State Budget
Recommendations for FY 2009-2010 State Budget
February 02, 2009
This letter to the state legislature suggests two strategic directions to guide budget policy and offers a roadmap that avoids harmful tax increases and makes spending better serve New Yorkers by suggesting reforms in five key areas: Medicaid, school aid, correctional facilities, public employee benefits, and programs like STAR and Empire Zones.