Testimony

Comments Provided to the New York Fast Food Wage Board

June 1, 2015. FPI played an important role in the efforts to convince the New York Fast Food Wage Board in June and July 2015 to recommend a $15 wage floor for 136,000 workers in large fast-food chains. FPI materials include the following: Testimony at the Buffalo hearing of the Fast Food Wage Board, June 5, 2015 Supplemental comments to the Fast Food Wage Board, June 26, 2015 Op-ed, “Boosting the Wages of Fast-Food Workers Will Help the Economy,” in the July 20, 2015 Albany [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:04-05:00June 5th, 2015|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, Letters, Reports, Briefs and Presentations, Testimony|

Testimony on Increasing the Minimum Wage in the Fast-Food Industry

June 5, 2015. James Parrott presented testimony to the New York State Department of Labor Wage Board hearing on increasing the minimum wage in the fast-food industry. Fast-food is a highly profitable and fast-growing industry. Fast-food employment has risen across New York, adding significantly to the growing problem of low-wages that are far from adequate in allowing a worker to meet basic family budget needs. A significant portion of fast-food workers are trying to raise families, but more than two out of every five workers [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:04-05:00June 5th, 2015|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, Testimony|

Testimony at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2015-2016 Executive Budget – Taxes

February 9, 2015. Executive Director Ron Deutsch testified before the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees on the Governor’s 2015-2016 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan. Governor Andrew Cuomo’s Executive Budget proposal takes some positive steps forward in clearly acknowledging, for the first time in his tenure, the incredible child poverty and income inequality that exist in our generally affluent state and recognizing the need to give greater property tax relief to those who need it most rather than spreading it too thinly. However, [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:06-05:00February 9th, 2015|City Budget, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|

Testimony to Raise the Statewide Minimum Wage and Allow Localities to Set a Higher Minimum Wage

June 2, 2014. FPI’s James Parrott submitted testimony for the June 2 New York State Senate Labor Committee hearing on several minimum wage-related bills, including five bills that would authorize local governments to enact minimum wages above the statewide level, and one bill that would establish a statewide “living wage” of $15 an hour, indexed to inflation, for certain large employers and chain stores. The FPI testimony reviewed several reasons why it makes sense for New York State to authorize cities and counties to establish [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:25-05:00June 2nd, 2014|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, Testimony|

Testimony on Local Government Minimum Wage Authority

April 30, 2014. In testimony presented before the New York City Council, FPI’s James Parrott reviewed several reasons why it makes sense for New York State to authorize cities and counties to establish higher minimum wage levels than the statewide minimum. Parrott’s testimony cited data showing that there are wide disparities across counties within the state in terms of the local cost of living, and that there is a similar wide disparity in median wage levels, particularly between New York City and suburban counties on [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:25-05:00April 30th, 2014|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, Testimony|

Testimony: NYC School Bus Industry in the Aftermath of the Removal of Employee Protection Provisions from Contracts

March 27, 2014. James Parrott testified at a New York City Council oversight hearing looking at the effects of removing job security protections from the City school bus contracts. The previous administration set in motion a contract re-bidding process that stripped school bus drivers, matrons and mechanics of job security protections. That action has already led to the bankruptcy of a large school bus company in the middle of the school year and threatens to further unsettle the industry on which the City relies to [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:26-05:00March 27th, 2014|State Budget, Tax & Budget, Testimony|

Testimony Presented to the New York City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor

February 27, 2014. In testimony presented before the New York City Council Civil Service and Labor Committee, FPI’s James Parrott summarized several employment, wage and cost of living trends affecting low-wage workers in New York City. He noted that 37 percent of all wage-earners in the city are paid less than $15 an hour, and that half of all black and Latino workers are low-wage by this measure. Parrott discussed several groups of low-wage workers and suggested policy steps the City could take to raise [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:26-05:00February 27th, 2014|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, Testimony|

Testimony at the New York City Council Education and Women’s Issues Committees

February 11, 2014. James Parrott testified before the New York City Council Education and Women's Issues Committees on Feb. 11, 2014, on the subject of Mayor deBlasio's Universal Pre-Kindergarten and After-School Proposals. Parrott supported the notion that there should be a dedicated funding stream to pay for these proposals financed by an increase in the top rate on the City's personal income tax. He examined the proposed increase in historical perspective, reviewed the issue of migration in response to local and state tax differentials, and [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:27-05:00February 11th, 2014|Economic Trends & Policy, Education, Labor Market & Workforce, Social Policy, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|

Testimony at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2014-2015 Executive Budget – Taxes

February 10, 2014. Executive Director Fred Floss testified before the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees on the Governor’s 2014-2015 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan. Floss noted the proposal for FY2015 is contractionary, since it cuts $2 billion in expenditures and only reduces taxes by $480 and will therefore be a drag on economic growth in New York State. He also commented on a number of tax proposals including the property tax freeze, corporate tax reductions and the estate tax proposal. If implemented, [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:27-05:00February 10th, 2014|City Budget, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|

FPI Testimony at Senate Hearing Urges Balanced Approach to Tax Reform

September 4, 2013. In testimony before the Senate Standing Committee on Finance and the Senate Committee on Investigations and Government Operations, Frank Mauro, FPI’s Executive Director, expressed support for a thorough review of the tax system from a number of perspectives. He indicated that back in December 2011, Governor Cuomo and the legislative leaders joined in calling for a thorough review of the fairness of the New York tax system and agreed that fairness is one important basis for evaluating the workings of any tax [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:28-05:00September 4th, 2013|City Budget, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|

Testimony at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2013-2014 Executive Budget – Taxes

February 12, 2013. In this testimony, Frank Mauro made the following six points: New York State should not cut taxes while the resources provided for education and other essential services are being hit with “Gap Elimination Adjustments” and other austerity measures. New York State should not provide tax subsidies for companies that outsource jobs or otherwise reduce employment in the state. Economic development tax breaks should only go to businesses that create and maintain jobs in the state. Loopholes and tax breaks that allow large, [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:58-05:00February 12th, 2013|State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|

FPI on New York’s 2013-14 State Budget

February 12, 2013. We have updated the Economic and Fiscal Outlook 2013-2014 briefing book that was originally released at FPI’s 23rd annual budget briefing on January 29, and submitted testimony by Carolyn Boldiston on the implications for Human Services of the Governor’s 2013-2014 Executive Budget and testimony by Frank Mauro on Tax Issues related to the Legislature’s consideration of the Executive Budget. We have also completed an analysis, with the New York Women's Foundation, of the impact of the Governor's budget on women, children and [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:58-05:00February 12th, 2013|Reports, Briefs and Presentations, Social Policy, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|