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Op Ed
City Budget
The “20-20-20-20” Dilemma
The Need to Curtail New York City’s Legacy Costs
August 03, 2016
A giant and rapidly growing slice of the New York City budget pays for "legacy costs" - pensions, retiree health benefits, and debt service - which already exceed 20 percent of the budget and will expand by 20 percent to more than $20 billion in annual spending by fiscal year 2020. But the City can take steps to deal with it.
Op Ed
City Budget
The Rapidly Rising Cost of City Workers
New York City Employees Get $138,000 in Pay and Benefits, and Rising
June 09, 2016
The mayor and City Council quickly came to an agreement on the details of an adopted budget for fiscal year 2017, but little attention has been paid to spending projected over the course of the five-year financial plan. We ought to focus, and hold onto our wallets.
Op Ed
City Budget
Make NYC’s Retiree Health Benefit Trust More Trustworthy
May 25, 2016
The City of New York has a $70 billion liability for retiree health insurance costs and other post-employment benefits (OPEB), not including pensions. These benefits are contractually owed to retired city employees and are largely unfunded.
Op Ed
City Budget
A Mixed Budget Message
May 02, 2016
Mayor Bill de Blasio’s executive budget and accompanying four-year financial plan send a mixed message about New York City’s fiscal outlook. For the short term, economic performance and local revenues are exceeding expectations this year.
Op Ed
City Budget
Mayor de Blasio's Citywide Savings Program: Too Little of the Really Good Stuff
February 24, 2016
In his second year de Blasio reestablished the practice under the new name of Citywide Savings Program (CSP). The resurrection has been uninspired; the CSP in the latest plan, released last month, is too small and includes too few efficiency initiatives.
Op Ed
City Budget
Reducing Organic Waste Without Increasing Costs
February 03, 2016
The Department of Sanitation's focus on organic waste is merited by the size of the waste stream (more than 1 million tons annually) and environmental benefits of reducing greenhouse gases through use of alternative disposal strategies, such as composting, rather than transport to distant landfills.
Op Ed
City Budget
What de Blasio’s Budget is Missing
January 21, 2016
The mayor’s plan increases spending without any increases to tax rates, thanks to rising property values and continued economic growth: Employment has reached an all-time high, real wages are growing and tourists are still flocking to the city in record numbers.
Op Ed
City Budget
Cleaning Up NY's Garbage Disposal
June 03, 2012
New York City generates more than 25 tons of garbage per minute. That's 14 million tons per year, and the city's Department of Sanitation spends $2 billion annually to collect and dispose of about a third of it.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
Sneak Labor Giveaway
May 05, 2012
Across New York, the cost of health benefits for retired government employees is growing so rapidly that it threatens to crowd out funding for essential government services. Rather than lay off police or close libraries, public officials may want to use their discretion to alter retiree health insurance — but some state legislators are trying to take away that discretion.
Op Ed
City Budget
Fix NYC’s ‘Prevailing Wage’ Law
March 27, 2012
The City Council is set to take up a bill to expand the prevailing-wage law to cover building-service workers in buildings and projects that get financial assistance from the city. Whatever the merits of that expansion, we urgently need much greater transparency in how the “prevailing wage” is determined.
Op Ed
City Budget
The Big Difference in Next Year's New York City Budget
February 23, 2012
Earlier this month, Mayor Michael Bloomberg presented New York City's Financial Plan for the next four years. It demonstrates a stark new reality: there is no large surplus of revenues, as there has been in past years, to help balance the budget.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
City Worker Pensions Vs. Kids
Bloomy Must Cut Youth Services Because Adult Costs Are Out Of Control
December 04, 2010
New York provides a troubling example of how the inability to contain costs associated with a large municipal workforce imposes a greater burden on the most vulnerable populations, notably low-income children.
Op Ed
City Budget
Reform New York City Municipal Union Welfare Funds
August 04, 2010
CBC president Carol Kellermann pens an op-ed that advocates for the reformation of the taxpayer-supported municipal union welfare funds.
Op Ed
Housing
Rent Regulation: A Big Tax On NY
The Law Needs a Massive Overhaul
July 06, 2010
The push to continue rent regulation is fueled by far more populist rhetoric than economic reason. As a corrective, a new report by the Citizens Budget Commission reveals some startling facts about the current system.
Op Ed
City Budget
Time for Prudence in City Benefits
April 10, 2010
Executive Vice President and Director of Research Charles Brecher pens this op-ed that discusses ways to rein in growth of the City's retirement benefits, notably pensions and health insurance.
Op Ed
City Budget
How to Save $2B Without Slashing City Services
March 03, 2010
Research Director Chuck Brecher outlines 5 alternative solutions for saving up to $2 billion in Mayor Bloomberg's preliminary budget. Each of these proposals would avoid widespread layoffs and the reduction of other vital services.
Op Ed
City Budget
City, State Budget Woes
January 16, 2010
CBC President Carol Kellermann writes a letter to Crain's urging the City to not avoid cost cutting in the face of better-than-expected tax revenue.
Op Ed
Pensions & Benefits
NYC's Gold-Plated Worker Perks
December 20, 2009
CBC President Carol Kellermann discusses a new survey from the CBC and the Partnership for New York City that reveals that municipal employee pension and health-insurance benefits are out of balance with the job market.
Op Ed
City Budget
New Priorities for Mayor Bloomberg's Third Term
November 15, 2009
CBC President Carol Kellermann outlines the fiscal priorities that need to be addressed by Mayor Michael Bloomberg in his third term in this op-ed published in the Huffington Post.