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Blog
Capital Spending
New York City Capital Spending: A Retrospective
April 21, 2010
Analyzes the impact of capital investments under Mayor Bloomberg.
Blog
State Budget
The Rational Funding Plan for SUNY and CUNY Should Be Extended
March 21, 2016
Why reauthorizing a rational funding plan for the State University of New York (SUNY) and the City University of New York (CUNY) to raise tuition makes sense.
Blog
Pensions & Benefits
A More Flexible Pension Plan
January 25, 2012
Part of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s “Tier VI” proposal to make pension benefits for public employees of New York’s State and local government more affordable and sustainable over the long term is an optional 401(k)-style plan, already used widely in the private sector and becoming more common in the public sector.
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The labor market case for more generous retirement benefits for public sector workers is no longer valid.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
Pensions & Benefits
NY Retirement Systems: Still Out of Line
January 25, 2012
NY requires unusally low rates of employee contribution -- meaning taxpayers largely shoulder the cost of providing pensions, which has grown sharply over the last decade.
Blog
Capital Spending
Mind the Gap
Funding Repair and Maintenance of New York City Infrastructure
July 26, 2010
Past neglect has created a need for nearly $5.6 billion in repair of existing facilities in New York City in order to bring them to satisfactory condition, known as a "state of good repair." Yet the City's capital budget allocates only about half, with the gap especially large for streets, hospitals, and parks.
Report
Energy & Environment
Taxes In, Garbage Out
The Need for Better Solid Waste Disposal Policies in New York City
May 30, 2012
This report makes the case for a significant change in the New York City Department of Sanitation's solid waste disposal practices, a shift from heavy reliance on long-distance exporting to landfills to greater reliance on use of local waste-to-energy facilities.
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.
Report
Economic Development
New York City's Competitiveness in Attracting Talent
2016 Scorecard
September 28, 2016
How does the New York City metro area compare to other large cities in the competition for a talented workforce? Affordability and commute times remain challenges.
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.
Testimony
Energy & Environment
Testimony to Reducing Food Waste in New York City
Submitted to NYC Council Committee on Solid Waste and Sanitation
June 07, 2016
Unless residential trash collection costs are reduced, new program costs will greatly overwhelm any potential savings from landfill reduction. A significant expansion of food waste collection may also outpace regional processing infrastructure.
Report
Energy & Environment
Can We Have Our Cake and Compost It Too?
An Analysis of Organic Waste Diversion in New York City
February 02, 2016
This report examines the feasibility and the cost of options for expanding the Department of Sanitation's organic waste program.
Blog
City Budget
The Citywide Savings Program: Bolder Steps Needed to Make Government More Efficient
May 24, 2016
Mayor Bill de Blasio's latest Citywide Savings Program proposes multiyear savings of $5.4 billion compared to just $2.9 billion proposed in last year’s Executive Budget. The $5.4 billion represents 1.7 percent of city-funded spending over the financial plan period; this is in the range of savings in Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plans for each of the last four years of his administration. While this may seem like a bold stride, the new CSP still falls short in the nature of its savings proposals.
Blog
Energy & Environment
The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative Wins the 2012 CBC Prize for Public Service Innovation
February 06, 2012
The Citizens Budget Commission is pleased to announce the winner of its 2012 CBC Prize for Public Service Innovation is the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
Blog
Health Care
Improving the Way New York Pays for Medicaid
January 24, 2012
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s budget proposals for fiscal year 2012-13 include an important first step towards fixing a longstanding flaw in the way New York pays for its Medicaid program.
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.
Report
Health Care
What Ails Medicaid in New York?
And Does the Medicaid Redesign Team Have a Cure?
May 20, 2016
This report assess the progress of the Medicaid Redesign Team (MRT), launched in 2011, in implementing strategies to curb costs and improve the quality of care in Medicaid.
Blog
State Budget
How Sick Leave Can Be Bad for a Locality's Fiscal Health
(And Health Insurance May Be Even Worse)
July 01, 2012
“Excusable” borrowing appears now to be growing, extending to accrued sick leave and vacation days that are claimed by departing employees without money having been set aside to pay for them.
Testimony
Education
Testimony to the Education Reform Commission
July 26, 2012
Simply put, the aggregate amount of money is not the problem. Rather, current funding needs to be re-targeted to reflect new priorities.
Report
Education
A Better Foundation Aid Formula
Funding Sound Basic Education with Only Modest Added Cost
December 12, 2016
This report explains why Foundation Aid, a need-based State school aid program, was developed, what is wrong with it, and how to make it better.