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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
Transportation
Shared sacrifice to save the subways
It's not just the mayor and governor; transit workers and motorists must chip in, too
July 28, 2017
Neither the “city” nor the “state” is a person with a bank account: it is taxpayers who are being called upon to foot the bill. Motorists and workers should also share the burden.
Blog
Transportation
Is the Enhanced Station Initiative a Good Idea?
July 20, 2017
Is the enhancement of 32 stations at a cost of nearly $1 billion worth the trade-off against other capital needs?
Blog
Transportation
Welcome Back, Joe Lhota!
June 26, 2017
Joe Lhota returns as Chairman of the MTA. Much has occurred since Lhota last chaired the MTA, and the following charts illustrate the agency’s current plight.
Blog
Transportation
MTA’s New Capital Plan Not on Track with Need for Better Service
June 15, 2017
The MTA's revised capital plan adds $2.8 billion investments, but the new money and other changes are not wholly aligned with what is needed to get the trains running on time
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
Transportation
Funding Fares Should Be the City's Responsiblity
April 02, 2017
If the mayor supports the policy, it should be a priority that is accommodated within the city’s financial plan.
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.
Blog
State Budget
Budget Proposals with a Big Long-Term Payoff
March 16, 2017
The NYS FY2018 Executive Budget includes three proposals to reduce the State’s cost of providing retiree health insurance. Budget savings would be modest, but the reduction in the OPEB liability would be significant.
Blog
Transportation
Five Noteworthy Changes in the MTA's Financial Plan
March 15, 2017
The MTA's modified financial plan include 5 noteworthy changes which have the combined impact of slightly worsening the agency’s fiscal outlook.
Blog
Transportation
“Parity” for State Transportation Investments
A Misguided Misnomer
March 09, 2017
Do the State's transportation and transit investments really achieve "parity" between the DOT and the MTA? They don't -- and they shouldn't.
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.
Op Ed
Transportation
Make the MetroCard a gateway to opportunity, not a barrier
Transit should be half-price for the working poor
January 08, 2017
Half-priced metrocards for low-income adults should be paid for by the City, not the MTA. The City already supports reduced fares for the elderly and disabled.
Blog
Public Workforce
Benefits Sweetener Scorecard
2016
November 29, 2016
The 2016 Benefit Sweetener Scorecard identifies more than 60 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
Transportation
The MTA’s Preliminary 2017 Budget: Good News Now, But Risks Down the Track
September 27, 2016
Reviews the MTA's preliminary 2017 budget and points to risks, including expiring labor contracts and looming OPEB liabilities.
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
Education
State School Aid Increases: Anything But Progressive
April 14, 2016
Examines state school aid increases under the New York State Enacted Budget for Fiscal Year 2017.
Blog
State Budget
Heading the Wrong Way on the Thruway
March 23, 2016
Governor Andrew Cuomo proposal to provide nearly $2.3 billion of State funds from bank settlements to subsidize the New York State Thruway Authority would reverse a long-standing practice of funding the Authority from toll revenue and would put New York taxpayers on a course for financing road and bridge infrastructure that makes little economic or fiscal sense.