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State Budget
Balancing the State Budget – Halfway There, But Running Out of Gas?
December 19, 2011
The Governor should avoid more new taxes as the way to close the rest of the budget gap and instead focus on containing spending growth in Medicaid, pensions, education, and economic development.
Report
State Budget
Giving and Getting
Regional Distribution of Revenue and Spending in New York State Budget
December 19, 2011
The report analyzes the regional distribution of revenues collected and dollars spent within the New York State budget by examining actual receipts and expenditures for the 2009-10 fiscal year. It finds that downstate gives more to the State in taxes and revenues than it gets back in expenditures for services and other assistance and that upstate gets more than it gives.
Report
Capital Spending
New York City's Water and Sewer System
Is the Rent Too Damn High?
December 14, 2011
This report provides a history of the City's water rental payment, critiques the current method for setting the rent, and suggests alternative approaches to setting the rent.
Report
Health Care
A Poor Way to Pay for Medicaid
Why New York Should Eliminate Local Funding for Medicaid
December 11, 2011
This paper examines the fiscal inequities and other problems that arise as a result of New York’s largelocal share for Medicaid financing.
Blog
Taxes
The Tax Hike’s Silver Lining
December 07, 2011
If the temporary personal income tax hike is the price we pay for long-term reforms that enhance infrastructure, encourage job growth, make the state and local tax system more equitable, and reduce future pension costs, then it is a price worth paying.
Blog
Capital Spending
The Dos and Don’ts of PPPs
December 04, 2011
Dos and Don’ts for the use of PPPs, or "P3s" adapted from the CBC's 2008 report, “How Public-Private Partnerships Can Help New York Address Its Infrastructure Needs.”
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
New York City Is Not Alone
November 16, 2011
Reducing the pensions funds' investment target to 7% would be prudent in order to keep the City’s pension funds fully funded, and it would be consistent with changes that have been adopted by other large public pension systems.
Report
City Budget
What is a “Balanced Budget”?
November 08, 2011
This brief examines the multiple versions of a balanced budget standard that have arisen from the City's deviation from Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) and recent modifications to GAAP that set a new and higher benchmark for a balanced budget.
Blog
Education
Needed Mandate Relief on the Way?
November 01, 2011
New York State imposes more than 200 special education mandates above and beyond those required by federal law; changes are needed to bring NY in line with other states.
Blog
Public Workforce
Another Good Idea to Save the City Money
October 27, 2011
The New York City union welfare funds could also use some "depoliticizing, professionalizing and streamlining."
Testimony
Energy & Environment
Testimony on NYC Solid Waste Management Practices
Submitted to NYC Council Committee on Sanitation & Solid Waste Management
October 27, 2011
New York is being wasteful in its waste management practices. We could save tens of millions, perhaps even hundreds of millions, of dollars without harming the environment by more sensibly managing New Yorkers’ solid waste. An improved system for waste collection and disposal could prevent further reductions in essential services in coming budgets.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
How Much Did New York’s 2010 Early Retirement Incentive Save?
October 25, 2011
The CBC estimates that early retirement incentives saved taxpayers $681 million savings- less than would have been saved if the Governor had been able to achieve through layoffs.
Blog
Health Care
Cause for Concern with the Medicaid Redesign Team Implementation
October 13, 2011
NY is roughly halfway to meeting its budgeted Medicaid savings target of $2.2 billion for fiscal year 2012. A closer look suggests there is cause for concern that some of the savings may not be implemented on time.
Video
City Budget
NYC Corporation Counsel Michael Cardozo
CBC Breakfast Series
September 21, 2011
CBC Breakfast with Corporation Counsel Michael A. Cardozo in September 2011.
Report
Economic Development
Avoiding Past Mistakes
Principles for Governing Regional Economic Development Councils
September 12, 2011
This report examines New York State economic development programs' past mistakes and explores the potential to improve meaningful outcomes via new regional councils designed to streamline and coordinate the current array of state economic development efforts. It warns of the danger that new regional councils will become new heads on the already huge an unwieldy New York State economic development portfolio.
Video
Pensions & Benefits
Robert Steel, NYC Deputy Mayor
CBC Breakfast Series
August 31, 2011
CBC Breakfast with NYC Deputy Mayor Bob Steel in August 2011.
Blog
Public Workforce
What Concessions?
August 28, 2011
A close look at the agreements between Mayor Bloomberg and city unions reveals that jobs were not saved by labor concessions but through diverting other resources or creating new risks in the budget.
Blog
State Budget
Stop the Wishful Thinking about a New York State Mid-Year “Surplus”
August 22, 2011
Talk of a surplus and using it for new initiatives should end immediately.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Another Promising Sign
July 12, 2011
The Citizen Budget Commission congratulates Governor Andrew Cuomo on his veto of A6309/S4067, the bill that proposed allowing school districts to borrow over $1 billion for pension costs.