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Blog
Taxes
Getting Into the Weeds About Potential Recreational Marijuana Revenues
November 16, 2020
State leaders should be cautious about relying on these potential revenues to help close budget gaps.
Blog
Taxes
Let a Sleeping Tax Lie
New York Should Reject Proposals to Reinstate the Stock Transfer Tax
November 09, 2020
If the rebate were eliminated, essentially putting the tax back into effect, New York would become the only state to impose such a tax on the sale and transfer of stock.
Blog
Taxes
Live From New York, It’s Excessive Tax Incentives!
October 28, 2020
Since 2004 New York State has allocated $7.8 billion in tax incentives to the film and television industry—almost enough to build two Mario M. Cuomo bridges or two Freedom Towers.
Blog
Taxes
Slumping Sales
Pandemic Continues to Batter City Economy
October 27, 2020
Recently released sales tax data show the COVID-19 pandemic and recession continue to batter New York City.
Blog
State Budget
New York Taxes: Layers of Liability
June 25, 2020
Any consideration of tax increases should include the impact on State and local economic competitiveness
Blog
Transportation
How Much Do City Taxpayers Really Contribute to the MTA?
February 21, 2020
City taxpayers pay 71% on MTA non-toll, non-federal revenues.
Blog
City Budget
The “20-20-20-20” Dilemma: Legacy Costs in the New York City Budget
July 22, 2016
A giant slice of the New York City budget pays for costs that are the legacy of commitments made in the past: debt service, pensions, and retiree health insurance. These legacy costs already exceed 20 percent of the budget and will expand by 20 percent to more than $20 billion in annual spending by fiscal year 2020.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Legislature Introduces Even More Benefit Sweeteners
May 18, 2016
The State Legislature has introduced 8 new bills to enhance the benefits of State and local public employees and retirees in the 2016 session.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard
May 02, 2016
The Citizens Budget Commission’s 2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard identifies more than 60 such bills active this session. These bills could cost the State and local governments hundreds of millions of dollars per year, and since about half the bills do not specify a fiscal impact, the potential costs could be significantly greater.
Blog
State Budget
Pass Governor’s Proposal to Reform State Retiree Health Insurance Benefits
March 13, 2016
State of New York retirees with more than 10 years of service receive health insurance benefits substantially more generous than those offered by private sector and most public sector employers. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget for FY2017 includes a fair proposal to reduce these growing costs, and the Legislature should adopt it.
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
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
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.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
The State and Local Pension Stretch
June 16, 2010
New York stands out for consistently setting aside adequate funds to make its employee pension systems fiscally sound, but political leaders are considering heading down a fiscally irresponsible path.
Blog
Public Workforce
The Public and Private Sector Wage Disparity: An Update
May 24, 2010
The labor market case for more generous retirement benefits for public sector workers is no longer valid.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Christmas Bonuses
January 20, 2010
Each December, some NYC uniformed retirees receive a "variable supplement fund" payment in addition to their pensions.