Search
Showing 61 - 80 of 193
Blog
Transportation
Light, at the Beginning of the Tunnel
What to Look for in the MTA 2021 July Financial Plan
July 20, 2021
While the path to achieving operating savings is hard, it is much preferable to phase in these savings over the next few years than to have massive fare and toll increases, economically damaging service cuts, or significant increases in dedicated taxes and subsidies.
Blog
State Budget
Reallocate Settlement Payments to Boost Rainy Day Funds
July 09, 2018
NYS has wom more than $11 billion in litigation settlements since FY 2014-2015. The spending of some of the settlement funds have more merit than others, but one major shortcoming is that none of the funds were allocated to boosting reserves.
Video
CBC News
Conversation with CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
A CBC Event
April 29, 2021
Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez outlined his key priorities for the City University of New York as an engine of economic opportunity and mobility, including a comprehensive plan to bolster business opportunities for firms owned by women, minorities, and service-disabled veterans.
Podcast episode
City Budget
Episode 59: 1981
November 16, 2018
The data point for today is 1981, the year in which the State Legislature enacted S7000A, the landmark bill that formalized the current property tax system for New York City. A response to the Hellerstein case, which found the system was in violation of State law, S7000A essentially codified the status quo.In doing so, it established a system of property classification, fractional assessments, caps, phase-ins, and class shares that is still with us 37 years later. These structural features and statutory requirements are the root of the system’s inequities and complexities. A home worth $500,000 can face the same tax bill as a home worth $1.5 million, while the value of a condominium unit, according to the City, is a fraction of its sale price. In fact, some buildings have values that are below the sale price of individual units. And commercial and rental property faces a higher average property tax burden than 1-, 2- and 3-family homes.
These inequities and problems have led to repeated calls for reform, including pending litigation. This past May, Mayor de Blasio and Speaker Johnson formed the Advisory Commission on Property Tax Reform. In September, the Citizens Budget Commission, the Regional Plan Association, and NYU Robert Wagner School of Public Service held a panel to discuss the problem, inequities and potential reforms
Blog
Economic Development
End the Empire Zones Program and Adopt Excelsior
March 24, 2010
Explains why Empire Zones were ineffective and argues in favor of the improved features of Excelsior tax credits.
Podcast episode
Transportation
800,000, with John Porcari
March 21, 2021
800,000 is the approximate number of daily passengers who travel on Northeast Corridor trains. The only rail link that connects New York and New Jersey is through a 110-year-old tunnel under the Hudson River. The Biden administration has pledged to move forward the Gateway Program―the planned, phased expansion and renovation of the Northeast Corridor rail line, including the aging tunnel. John Porcari, the founding interim Executive Director of the Gateway Development Corporation, joined the podcast to update listeners on the status of this critical infrastructure project.
Statement
State Budget
Statement on NYS Executive Budget for FY2019
January 17, 2018
The overall approach is to use short-term fixes that do not address the long-term structural problem of spending outpacing revenues.
Report
City Budget
Getting the Basics Right
Fiscal, Managerial, and Policy Priorities for Recovery, Stability and Prosperity
November 08, 2021
To ensure that New York recovers, stabilizes, and ultimately thrives, the incoming Administration should set and implement fiscal, managerial, and policy priorities that will boost the city’s economy and competitiveness, and provide the services and opportunities necessary for New Yorkers to flourish.
Letter
Economic Development
CBC Urges the State Legislature to Let the Empire Zones Program Sunset
April 12, 2010
This letter was written to urge the State legislature to allow the seriously flawed Empire Zones program to sunset as of June 30, 2010, as established by law, and to enact the Excelsior program as proposed by the Governor.
Podcast episode
Transportation
24/7, with Sarah Feinberg and Janno Lieber
April 01, 2021
24/7 is the number of hours and days New Yorkers traditionally have had access to the subway system. In response to the pandemic the MTA suspended overnight service to clean and disinfect the subway, giving riders the confidence they need to return to the system. The pandemic decimated revenue and ridership this past year, but with an infusion of federal funds and slowly returning ridership the MTA financial forecast has stabilized for the time being. However, they're still not out of the woods. Today's guests are two leaders who will chart and manage the course forward for the MTA: New York City Transit Interim President Sarah Feinberg, and MTA Chief Development Officer Janno Lieber.
Video
CBC News
Comptroller Candidate Forum
Accountability, Not Just Accounting
May 04, 2021
The next New York City Comptroller will play a critical role not only in holding the next Administration and agencies accountable, investing and managing five pension funds with $248 billion in assets, and partnering in $13 billion City debt issuance, but also in spotlighting and promoting New York City’s fiscal health during and after the economic recovery. CBC's "Comptroller Candidate Forum: Accountability, Not Just Accounting" featured 13-minute conversations with each of the six leading candidates, in succession, allowing candidates to share their vision for the office, answer targeted questions from CBC about how they will use the office’s powers, and identify positions on key issues in a lightning round.The video was lightly edited to remove technical glitches. The content of the conversation was preserved in its entirety.
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.
Podcast episode
Education
270,00, with Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
April 29, 2021
270,000—the number of two-year, four-year, and graduate degree seeking students enrolled in the City University of New York (CUNY). For generations CUNY has been an engine of economic mobility. With New York City sitting at the inflection point between the pandemic-driven recession and its recovery, CUNY will play a key role in preparing students and workers for, and linking them to, new opportunities in a changing economy. CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez joined the podcast to discuss the pandemic's impact on CUNY, his efforts to partner with the private sector to open career opportunities for students and to bolster CUNY's finances, and how City, State, and federal budget decisions and proposals may stabilize CUNY in the future.
Video
Group looks at New York's fiscal responsibility
NEWS10 ABC
October 22, 2018
Progressive, first, best are all terms have been used to describe New York’s economy. One non-partisan watchdog group took a look at how responsible the state has been with its money since Andrew Cuomo took office eight years ago.
Podcast episode
State Budget
$209 billion, with State Senator Liz Krueger, E.J. McMahon, and Patrick Orecki
June 30, 2021
$209 billion is the total spending in New York State's Enacted Budget for Fiscal Year 2022. Six months ago, New York State was staring down a four-year revenue shortfall totaling $60 billion—however, revenues have strengthened and the federal government passed a stimulus bill that includes what may be the largest state and local government relief program in history. Still, the State decided to raise taxes, boost education aid, and fund a host of economic recovery programs. Joining the podcast are three guests to discuss what this means for the State's fiscal future: State Senator Liz Krueger, Senior Fellow at the Empire Center and Adjunct Fellow at the Manhattan Institute E.J. McMahon, and CBC's Director of State Studies Patrick Orecki.
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
State Budget
Enough waiting for transparency
Albany Times Union
May 15, 2021
Ten years ago this week, Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission opened a portal for New Yorkers to “suggest ways to improve the efficiency and quality of government services.”
Blog
Economic Development
Complement, Don't Duplicate
Targeting NYC Small Business Recovery Programs
June 21, 2021
It is critically important for the City to identify potential gaps first by determining which businesses are eligible for which existing programs and whether those programs reasonably meet their needs.
Blog
City Budget
NYC Budget to Absorb $1 Billion in Additional Spending Due to State Actions
April 23, 2018
The upcoming City budget will have to contend with some sizable impacts from the recently-enacted State budget.