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Press Release
Pensions & Benefits
CBC Issues Report Detailing The Unsustainable And Growing Burden Of New York City's Other Post-Employment Benefit Debt
October 25, 2017
NYC's Other Post-Employment Benefits (OPEB) amounts to $95 billion. New policies should be implemented to reduce the financial burden on future generations.
Blog
City Budget
NYC Resident Feedback Survey: Issues Requiring More Attention from City Government
October 20, 2017
New Yorkers tell us what the biggest issues are requiring the attention of city government. Click to see how your neighbors responded.
Blog
Education
New York Per Pupil Education Spending is Nation’s Highest
Where Does the Money Come From?
September 07, 2017
Based on the most recent national data, New York spends more per pupil than any other state: $21,206 per pupil compared to the national average of $11,392 as of the 2014-2015 school year.
Op Ed
City Budget
End de Blasio’s giveaway to bus companies
May 09, 2017
The program was bad policy from the outset-- and was extended for a third year. The City Council should defund it when the budget is adopted.
Blog
Education
State Budget Increases School Aid Without Needed Reforms
April 20, 2017
In order to adequately fund education in all districts without excessive state spending, more comprehensive modifications are required.
Op Ed
Education
Fix NY's broken formula for distributing school aid
March 22, 2017
How much more funding should New York state provide to Syracuse public schools? A report by the Citizens Budget Commission, for which I was the primary author, says that an increase of $83 million is needed for the City of Syracuse school district.
Op Ed
Education
How Much More State Education Funding Is Needed?
March 08, 2017
With reforms to the way funding is distributed, the State can fund a "sound, basic education" with $569 million more in annual funding.
Blog
Education
Governor’s School Aid Proposal Extends Existing Inequities
February 09, 2017
Big changes proposed to Foundation Aid bake in existing inequities.
Blog
Education
Fringe Benefits Pushed New York Education Spending Higher in 2013
June 22, 2015
High levels of school spending in NY largely reflected the relatively high cost of employee compensation.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Big Decisions Before Albany Do Not Deter Sweeteners
June 09, 2015
Tracking bills enhancing benefits for public employees introduced in the 2015 Legislative Session
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
Pension Sweetener Scorecard – Disability Benefits Edition
June 01, 2015
Reviews 10 bills introduced to benefit recently hired New York City uniformed employees that are gaining momentum
Blog
Education
New York State School Aid
A Big Increase, Badly Allocated Among Districts
April 08, 2015
The fiscal year 2016 state budget enacted last week includes a 6.0 percent increase in annual formula-based aid to school districts from $21.8 billion to $23.1 billion. This is the third consecutive year in which the Governor and the legislature have busted the statutory growth cap they agreed upon in 2011.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
New York Should Stop Borrowing from its Pension Funds
February 25, 2015
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget for FY2016 proposes to borrow an additional $1.8 billion from public employee pension funds in coming years. This proposal adds to taxpayers’ long-run costs and risks weakening the fiscal condition of the funds.
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
Education
High Time For Higher Education Funding Reform
April 13, 2010
Explains why the irrational and inequitable tuition policies at CUNY and SUNY should be replaced by a rational tuition policy that allows for regular increases but also does not reduce financial aid to students.
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.