November 2, 2017. On Election Day, New York’s voters will have their first opportunity in 20 years to call for a state constitutional convention via ballot proposition. Nearly 100 Capital District voters packed the auditorium at the Guilderland Public Library last Tuesday night for a panel discussion titled “Would New York State Benefit from a Constitutional Convention?” The event, co-presented by the League of Women Voters of Albany County and the Women’s Press Club of New York State, was … (read more)

October 30, 2017. There is just over a week left until New Yorkers head to the polls. Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, and Susan Welber, Staff Attorney at The Legal Aid Society, weighed in on why they are urging a no vote on Ballot Question One, the Constitutional Convention Question.

 

Access to the full podcast can be found HERE.… (read more)

October 30, 2017.

Here’s a story you don’t hear every day: in the latest spat between Governor Andrew Cuomo and New York City Mayor De Blasio, both of them are right. Congestion pricing, the governor’s proposal, and a surcharge to the millionaire’s tax, the mayor’s proposal, are both good ideas.

The not-so-secret feuding between the governor and the mayor has not served New Yorkers well. From the serious to the petty, the two Democrats don’t seem to be able … (read more)

A Constitutional Convention – A Risk NOT Worth Taking

Ron Deutsch, Fiscal Policy Institute

The New York Constitution articulates the legal rights of New Yorkers, and in many vital areas, provides our residents more protections than the U.S. Constitution. A Constitutional Convention is an expensive, complicated and potentially dangerous undertaking that is unnecessary because we already have a more rigorous and more democratic process by which the voters can adopt or reject individual amendments to the State Constitution on their … (read more)

Press Release

For Immediate Release:                                           Contact:

October 30, 2017                                                        Ron Deutsch, Fiscal Policy Institute

(518) 469-6769

Progressive Organizations Join Together to Urge Opposition to ConCon

The Risk is Simply Too Great

 Progressive organizations from across New York State joined together today to voice their opposition to a Constitutional Convention.  The groups suggested that for virtually all New Yorkers, there is simply more to lose than to gain by holding a Constitutional Convention. The groups highlighted multiple concerns with the rigged … (read more)

Response from Governor Cuomo, Senate Leader Flanagan and Speaker Heastie to Largest Bid-Rigging Scandal in State History: NOTHING Elected leaders fail to pass common sense reforms to curb sky-high corruption risks revealed in $800m state contracting scandal  

(June 22, 2017, Albany) A coalition of prominent government watchdog groups say Governor Cuomo, Senate Leader Flanagan and Speaker Heastie have completely failed to address the huge problems revealed by last year’s alleged rigging of $800m in state economic development contracts and that … (read more)

For immediate release: June 14, 2017

Legislature Must Act Now Groups say Flanagan, Heastie and Cuomo must pass meaningful Clean Contracting reforms in response to $800m state bid-rigging scandal

Albany, New York – Prominent budget and transparency watchdog groups today called on the legislative leaders to act on their public statements on clean contracting, and pass meaningful legislation in response to the largest bid-rigging scandal in state history.

Senate President John Flanagan and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie are both on … (read more)

For immediate release: June 5, 2017

 

Watchdog Groups to Senate and Assembly: Don’t Come Home Without Passing Comprehensive Clean Contracting Reforms Legislature has yet to act on massive corruption risks revealed by biggest bid rigging scandal in New York State history

Watchdog groups again called on New York State Senate leader John Flanagan and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to pass comprehensive Clean Contracting legislation.

To date, the legislature … (read more)

March 28, 2017. By Alyssa Plock

A collaboration of reporting from Investigative Post, ProPublica, and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism shows that despite billions in subsidies, upstate job growth remains sluggish. Today three guests join Susan Arbetter to analyze the subsidy issue: Jim Heaney, Founder, Editor and Executive Director of Investigative Post, Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, and EJ McMahon, Founder and Research Director of the Empire Center for Public Policy.

… (read more)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 21, 2017

Contact: Ron Deutsch, Fiscal Policy Institute, 518-469-6769, deutsch@fiscalpolicy.org

Mike Leyba, Responsible Wealth, 562-266-4357, mleyba@faireconomy.org

Over 80 Upper-Income New Yorkers Urge Governor Cuomo and Legislature to Extend and Expand the Millionaires’ Tax

As New York State braces for proposed federal budget cuts that could have a devastating impact on health care, education and infrastructure investments across the state, more than 80 New York residents with incomes in the top 1% have sent an open letter … (read more)