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Blog
Housing
The Cost of Affordable Housing
December 15, 2015
How much does it take to build in NYC?
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.
Special Feature
Housing
Facts About NYCHA
September 18, 2015
Basics about the finances and operations of the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), including number of units operated in public housing and Section 8; rent collections; and benchmarking costs.
Blog
State Budget
An Expensive Deal in Albany
June 28, 2015
The legislative package passed in Albany last week rejected some misguided and expensive proposals, including a tax credit for benefactors of private schools. Unfortunately, other expensive proposals were included, adding to current and future state expenses without providing offsetting savings or revenues.
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
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
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
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
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
State Budget
Hits Outnumber Misses in the Governor’s FY 2016 Budget Proposal
January 26, 2015
The fiscal year 2016 Executive Budget worthwhile proposals that should not be overlooked in the wake of the Assembly leadership crisis. Nonetheless, some misguided elements should be eliminated or modified.
Blog
State Budget
Top Ten Things to Look For in the FY2016 NYS Budget
January 19, 2015
CBC lists the top 10 things to look for in the New York State FY2016 Budget on topics such as settlement dollars, school aid, medicaid, tax credits, design-build, and transportation.
Blog
State Budget
The Reality of New York State’s Future Surpluses
January 15, 2015
Explains the "aspiration" surpluses in the State's FY2016 budget proposal and what is needed to achieve the savings.
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
Public Workforce
A Closer Look at Paterson's Proposed Layoffs
October 31, 2010
Review Governor Paterson's plan to lay off state workers and allow additional positions to be vacated.
Blog
State Budget
About Last Night: The Good News and the Bad
August 03, 2010
Review the State budget deal for FY2011: it partially addresses the current year deficit, but leaves fundamental issues unaddressed, and contains substantial risky elements.
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.