May 23, 2017. Listen to Ron Deutsch, the executive director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, and John Kaehny, the executive director of Reinvent Albany on the Capitol Pressroom with Susan Arbetter. Deutsch and Kaehny provide an update on the push to create a cleaner state contracting process. Here is the link to the Capitol Pressroom.
May 22, 2017. FPI's Ron Deutsch joins Reg Foster, President and CEO of the United Way of New York State, Sharon F. Owens of Syracuse Community Connections and Stephanie Hoopes Halpin, PhD National Director of United Way ALICE Project on a WPBS special to discuss why the employed can be considered impoverished and what can be done to help these families. Ron argues that there are millions of New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet and that the federal poverty level is an antiquated measure [...]
May 18, 2017. Jennifer R. Guzmán argues that undocumented immigrants, who we rely on for our dairy, fruits and vegetables, are struggling to fulfill their basic needs because they are prevented from obtaining a driver's licenses and are overcharged for rides to work, the grocery store and other places. She goes on to discuss the benefits to all if the New York State Assembly Bill A4050 is passed. She cites FPI's and New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer's reports in order to make this case. This [...]
May 12, 2017. In an article featured in the Nonprofit Quarterly, the author argues that Syrian refugees contribute to their host countries' economies and uses data on Turkey and the U.S. to demonstrate this. The author cites the report, "Syrian Immigrants in the United States: A Receiving Community for Today's Refugees," which was co-released by FPI and the Center for American Progress, to support her argument. She also argues that we should not focus on the negative rhetoric used, rather on the positive contributions that they [...]
May 11, 2017. FPI and a coalition of other organizations are calling on Governor Cuomo to sign a bill for "clean contracting" in response to the bid-rigging scandal last year. The coalition calls on the Governor to restore the power to State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli for all state contracts exceeding $250,000, an end to non-academic contracting by state-controlled non-profit organizations, the creation of a comprehensive “database of deals,” and a prohibition against state authorities, corporations, and affiliated non-profits doing business with their board members. “How [...]
May 10, 2017. FPI's executive director, Ron Deutsch, joins Alex Camarda, of Reinvent Albany, and David Friedfel, from the Citizens Budget Commission, on Capital Tonight to discuss the possibility of an anti-rigging bill being passed this year. Ron argued that the time for reform is now. Here is the link to the Capital Tonight Episode.
May 4, 2017. This article discusses how immigrant youth, protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), are often perceived as not paying taxes, when they do. In order to make this argument, they cite FPI and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy's co-released report on DACA recipients tax contributions. FPI's David Dyssegaard Kallick also argues that their tax contributions are often overlooked. The article also argues that DACA recipients hope that their tax contributions will help them when they apply for permanent [...]
May 2, 2017. An editorial discusses the deportation case of Martin Martinez, an undocumented immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for 30 years, has a working permit, but also has two drunken driving convictions from over a decade ago. The author discusses sanctuary cities and argues how they try to distinguish between serious and minor crimes, and that new deportation policies make it difficult to fight crime. In the article, the author also argues that there are human and fiscal costs, and cites FPI's [...]
May 1, 2017. FPI's David Dyssegaard Kallick is featured on Fox 5 News discussing the possibility of a "cashless future." He argues how it is good, it is easier, and how it can help eliminate black market activity and corruption. The owner of Harlem Pizza Company said the majority of his clients, in fact about 90 percent of them, use credit or debit cards to pay. He said he actually prefers it that way. "The cash is a burden I think on the merchant because [...]