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Blog
Capital Spending
Design-Build Contracting
A Way to Fix More Bridges for Less Money
February 17, 2016
State legislators should enable New York City to benefit from design-build contracting: if it realized savings on par with the State’s experience, the City could save $2 billion over 10 years.
Blog
Public Workforce
A Deal is a Deal
Settled Contracts Should Remain Settled
January 05, 2016
Reviews troubling additions to settled contracts under Mayor de Blasio to make them more generous without comparable improvements to productivity.
Blog
Housing
The Cost of Affordable Housing
December 15, 2015
How much does it take to build in NYC?
Blog
Transportation
Why We Should Go Slow on the Second Avenue Subway
November 03, 2015
Why delaying plans for the second phase of the Second Avenue subway is sensible.
Blog
Economic Development
Learning from Past Mistakes
Examining Changes to the Excelsior Jobs Program
October 20, 2015
In 2008, CBC called for the elimination of the Empire Zones jobs program amid concerns it wasted public resources. In 2010, New York State replaced Empire Zones with the streamlined Excelsior Jobs Program. Excelsior was designed to avoid the errors of Empire Zones but until recently it has been difficult to assess to what degree it achieves its objectives.
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.
Blog
Transportation
Best (and Worst) Stations by Subway Line
September 14, 2015
identifies the best and worst train stations in New York City Transit-MTA system.
Blog
City Budget
The Cost of More Cops: A Full Accounting
August 03, 2015
Police officers have a greater budget impact than most other City employees: what's the cost of 1,300 new cops?
Blog
Transportation
Who Pays When “The City” Gives Money to the MTA?
May 05, 2015
Calls for “the City” to provide more funding should be clear about who is really being asked to foot the bill: New York City taxpayers already provide most of the MTA's revenue through the combination of local, regional, and state taxes.
Blog
City Budget
A PEG by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
April 19, 2015
Mayor de Blasio voices heartfelt interest in finding ways to save money, but he does not want to call it a PEG or put such name in his plan, at least in part because of its identification with prior administrations.
Blog
Economic Development
Economic Development Bigger in State Budget, But Benefits Unclear
April 15, 2015
Since 2011 New York leaders have restrained growth in the state’s operating budget; in contrast, the scale and scope of questionable economic development programs continue to be expanded significantly. In 2014 state and local spending for these activities totaled $8 billion.
Blog
Taxes
How Much to Bank on? When it Comes to Revenue Forecasting, Better Safe Than Sorry
April 12, 2015
What kind of impact could a recession have on New York City's revenues?
Blog
Transportation
A Fairer Fare Increase
March 18, 2015
Discusses another, arguably fairer, revenue-raising strategy for the MTA
Blog
State Budget
New York’s $1 Billion Brownfield Cleanup Program
March 17, 2015
Overview of Brownfield Cleanup Program
Blog
Capital Spending
Don't Block Design-Build
March 15, 2015
New York State's trial with design-build has produced convincing results that merit permanently authorizing and extending design-build authority as a first key step in modernizing the State’s approach to public projects.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Giving Credit Where It’s Due? New York City’s $1.3 Billion in Health Insurance Savings
December 28, 2014
In its recent mid-year budget modification the de Blasio administration credited a coalition of municipal employee unions with achieving $1.3 billion in savings in the City’s employee and retiree health insurance costs. Yet the unions have not agreed to any changes in the plan, and the City and the unions have taken no actions to reduce costs. How can this be?
Blog
State Budget
Guidelines for Wisely Using the $5 Billion Windfall
December 15, 2014
Three questions for determining good uses of one-time revenues.
Blog
Transportation
At PATH a Higher Fare is a Fairer Fare
September 29, 2014
On October 1, 2014, the single-ride fare for the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH)—the rail system connecting Newark, Harrison, Jersey City, and Hoboken to Midtown and Lower Manhattan—will increase by 25 cents. Many riders will complain, but the simple truth is that the higher fare is a fairer fare.
Blog
Transportation
Agency Focus: NYS DOT
Budget Analysis
September 28, 2014
Two major challenges face the New York State Department of Transportation: undertaking a comprehensive needs assessment and identifying resources needed to implement a capital plan.
Blog
Health Care
Agency Focus: HHC
Budget Analysis
September 22, 2014
Short budget profiled of the finances and challenges of New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) - now known as NYC Health + Hospitals (H+H).