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Testimony
Economic Development
Testimony on the Penn Station Area Civic and Land Use Improvement Project
Submitted to Empire State Development
December 08, 2021
Individually and collectively, these projects could contribute to New York’s long-term competitiveness and well-being.
Testimony
Housing
Testimony on NYCHA’s Capital Spending of City Funds
Submitted to the City Council Committee on Public Housing and Subcommittee on Capital Budget
November 18, 2021
I will focus on two topics: first, how additional City capital funding and new policy approaches are helping to address NYCHA’s capital needs, and second, the process and procurement reforms needed to ensure that NYCHA spends all—not just City—capital dollars effectively and efficiently.
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.
Testimony
City Budget
Testimony on Comprehensive Long-Term Planning (Intro. 2186)
Submitted to the New York City Council
February 23, 2021
Intro. 2186 proposes a new comprehensive planning framework that would reform the City’s land use and capital planning process.
Blog
City Budget
Buoying EDC's Operating Budget
June 01, 2020
EDC’s recent decision to reduce service hours and recalibrate routes on NYC Ferry is a step in the right direction.
Blog
Economic Development
Should New York's REDCs REDO Their Plans?
December 06, 2016
After 5 years, CBC reviews regional job creation results by industry, and the lackluster results suggest it is time to rethink the strategic plans of the REDCs.
Testimony
Economic Development
Testimony on Regular Evaluation of Tax Expenditures
Submitted to the New York City Council Committee on Finance
September 22, 2016
The impact of tax expenditures should be regularly assessed to determine whether they are inducing behavior or subsidizing activity that would happen anyway.
Testimony
Economic Development
Testimony on Economic Development Programs
Delivered to the NYS Assembly Committee on Economic Development
August 03, 2016
Project-specific appropriations for economic development should cease at least until eligibility criteria are established and accountability mechanisms enhanced.
Blog
Capital Spending
Agency Focus: DASNY
Budget Analysis
August 01, 2016
The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York (DASNY) manages construction of buildings and provides low-cost financing for public and nonprofit institutions.
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
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.
Testimony
Capital Spending
Testimony On Ten-Year Capital Strategy and Capital Budget
Delivered to NY City Council Committee on Finance
May 18, 2015
The Mayor's Ten-Year Capital Strategy totals $83.8 billion- a $30 billion increase from the prior plan. CBC has two main concerns about the Strategy: there is insufficient information available to judge the investments, and the investments will add to the City’s high debt burden.
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
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
Capital Spending
How Much, and for What?
May 21, 2013
Reviews the $54 billion Ten-Year Capital Strategy; the next mayor will have to make difficult trade-offs between competing priorities while ensuring the city’s debt does not become unaffordable.
Blog
State Budget
Little Noticed but Significant: The Sound Recommendations of the SAGE Commission
April 15, 2013
Reviews the worthwhile recommendations of the Spending and Government Efficiency Commission, or “SAGE” Commission.