July 19, 2004. FPI has released three reports on this subject this year including estimates of the number of workers who would benefit from an increase for each of New York's 62 counties. Recently, some critics have charged that an increase will fail to achieve the goal of alleviating poverty among the working poor. This issue of Fiscal Policy is being released to set the record straight. Report.
July 2004. In a new law approved on June 28, 2004, New Jersey increased its top income tax rate for tax years beginning on and after January 1, 2004, from 6.37% on the portion of taxable income above $75,000 for single individuals and $150,000 for married couples to 8.97% on the portion of taxable income above $500,000 regardless of filing status. This represents a significant shift in the traditional relationship between the top income tax rates in New York and New Jersey. For the first time [...]
June 3, 2004. Testimony before the NYC Council Economic Development Committee. Testimony >>
May 2004. In presenting his "5-Year Sound Basic Education Financing Plan," Governor Pataki claimed that it was based on the Standard and Poor's estimate of the Resource Gap between current school district education spending and the projected amount needed to attain the Regents' Education Standards. This is one of the four educational standards for which Standard and Poor's attempted to estimate the resource gap for the state as a whole and for selected districts. The Governor claimed that the Resource Gap under this scenario was [...]
April 26, 2004. Testimony presented by Frank Mauro before the New York State Assembly Committees on Ways and Means; Economic Development, Job Creation, Commerce and Industry; Corporations, Authorities and Commissions; and Labor.
April 21, 2004. This report examines the effects of minimum wages on employment and payrolls in small businesses. The analysis makes several comparisons between states with a higher minimum wage than the federal $5.15 minimum and all other states (i.e., those states where the $5.15 federal minimum prevails). Particular attention is paid to the retail sector, since that is the industry employing the most workers at low wages. Highlights below. Full report. The last time the federal minimum wage was increased was in September of 1997. [...]
April 1, 2004. The 68 school districts in the 9-county Binghamton-Ithaca-Elmira-Corning area are among the state's neediest. The overwhelming majority of would benefit from reforming New York state''s school funding system. Brief >>
March 25, 2004. Prepared by the Fiscal Policy Institute for the New York Immigration Coalition. Includes detailed tables on the immigrant workforce in New York City. Read the report.
March 19, 2004. A new book by Robert G. Lynch from by the Economic Policy Institute. Lynch is Chair of the Economics Department at Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, and former chair of the Economics Department at SUNY Cortland. Executive Summary Creating jobs and growing the economy are top priorities for state and local officials. Their tools of choice to achieve these goals may, however, be the least effective among those available to them. Too often public officeholders first embrace lowering taxes and creating tax [...]
February 11, 2004. FPI's testimony at the Legislature's Joint Budget Hearing on Human Services. Includes updated tables on TANF block grant spending. (PDF)
January 2004. The Fiscal Policy Institute's budget briefing. Briefing book on the 2004-2005 executive budget >>
January 21, 2004. An economic update from FPI. Also see press release.
January 2004. Prepared for the Building Trades Employers' Association of New York and the Consortium for Worker Education. Report >>
January 11, 2004. A comprehensive introduction to the issues surrounding the debate over increasing New York State's minimum wage. Press release and report.