Yearly Archives: 2018

Immigrants Are Part of Our Economic Growth

Blame Congress, Not Immigrants, If America's Taxes Don’t Pay for Our Expenses December 25, 2018. Recently, WhiteHouse.gov put up a post on its web site claiming that immigration results in "$300 billion annually in net fiscal costs on U.S. taxpayers.” As I said in talking with PolitiFact, this is just sophistry. The United States has been running a deficit for years. So, by definition, all Americans have a bigger net cost than contribution - 1st generation immigrants, 2nd generation immigrants, and those of us who have been here [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:05:05-05:00January 25th, 2018|Migration|

2018 FPI State Budget Briefing in Albany

On Tuesday morning, February 13, 2018, the Fiscal Policy Institute will present its 28th annual budget briefing in Meeting Room 7 of the Empire State Plaza Convention Center. A complimentary breakfast and check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. Our presentation begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 10:15 a.m. We hope that you and/or your colleagues will be able to join us for what we are confident will be a useful and informative session. You can RSVP online here. The briefing will examine various aspects of the governor’s Executive [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:04:21-05:00January 24th, 2018|Fact Sheets, State Budget|

Do Immigrants Cost U.S. Taxpayers $300 Billion Annually?

January 24, 2018. The Trump administration argues that "chain migration" is bad for the United States, and that immigrants should be admitted based upon their skills. This article looks into the administration's claim that "current immigration policy imposes as much as $300 billion annually in net fiscal costs on U.S. taxpayers," that was found in the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine report. Politifact found that although this finding is accurately cited from the the NAS report, the Trump administration left out details that [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:04:05-05:00January 24th, 2018|FPI in the News|

The President Needs A Lesson: Compassion 101

January 22, 2018. In this column, the author, Andrew Atkins, describes the time that he received a card from a colleague, who is an immigrant from Rawanda. This card thanked him for his contributions to the staff. The author highlights that his colleague, who fled he genocide in Rwanda, feels safe and welcomed in America and that he demonstrates acts of empathy, compassion and kindness regardless of the demeaning rhetoric about immigrants coming from the federal administration. The author goes on to state that President Trump [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:02:25-05:00January 22nd, 2018|FPI in the News|

Cuomo Rails at Tax Bill,  but His Proposals are Modest

January 22, 2018. According to this article, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has been almost apoplectic about the impact of the Republican tax bill on New York. It is a “missile” aimed directly at the state, he bellowed last week while unveiling his budget. But while his bark is loud, his bite is very cautious. The big question is how the politics of the tax bill will play out as Albany seeks to close a budget deficit as large as $6 billion and adjust the state’s tax [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:00:16-05:00January 22nd, 2018|FPI in the News, Tax Policy|

Immigrants in the 13th Congressional District

January 18, 2018. In the current political context, a number of members of congress are thinking about immigration even more than they usually do. To inform the discussion, FPI occasionally provides information about the residents of different congressional districts. Here is a little bit of background on the 13th Congressional District located in New York City, which includes upper Manhattan and a part of the Bronx. There are 3.1 million immigrants living in New York City, and 280,000 in the 13th Congressional District. The immigrant [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T11:00:03-05:00January 18th, 2018|Migration|

In Cuomo’s Budget Address, What’s Left Out Says as Much as What’s Said

January 18, 2018. According to this article, experts say that Gov. Andrew Cuomo's budget address lacked detail. As he did in the State of the State, the Governor laid out the case that New York is under attack from the new federal tax law, thanks to a controversial $10,000 cap on the state and local tax deduction that will hammer many high-income New Yorkers, yet critics and budget experts alike noted that the governor still didn’t explain how he would carry out all of the [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T10:59:41-05:00January 18th, 2018|FPI in the News, State Budget|

Questions Dog Cuomo Tax Gambit

January 17, 2018. According to this article, Governor Andrew Cuomo has railed and railed against the federal tax overhaul that took effect this month. It's an "all-out direct attack on New York state's economic future," he said during his State of the State address recently. Cuomo's heavily criticized the law's $10,000 cap on the amount of state income tax and local property tax payments. The state could overhaul its tax code to reduce reliance on personal income taxes and instead adopt a statewide payroll tax [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T10:59:20-05:00January 18th, 2018|FPI in the News, Tax Policy|

NY May Scrap its Income Tax for a Payroll Tax

January 9, 2018. According to this article, New York may end its income tax and instead expand its payroll tax as a way to outmaneuver the new federal law that limits deductions for state and local taxes. Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday during his State of the State address that he is exploring how to make the complicated switch, joining other high-tax states in considering how to protect residents' tax deductions and state revenue. California and New Jersey leaders have also discussed similar steps, such [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T10:59:02-05:00January 9th, 2018|FPI in the News, Tax Policy|

Trump Is ‘Stealing’ Benefits From Elderly Immigrants He’s Expelling From the United States

January 9, 2018. This article is about immigrants who are recipients of Temporary Protective Status (TPS), many who are elderly, that have worked hard and paid their taxes and contributed to social security. The article goes on to discuss how Trump has ended TPS for El Salvador and these recipients face deportation. Honduras and Haiti are still under consideration. The author cites a study by the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC) that shows that deporting TPS recipients from Honduras, El Salvador and Haiti would have [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T10:58:39-05:00January 9th, 2018|FPI in the News|

People’s State of the State Address Held in Albany

January 3, 2018. ALBANY - Ahead of the governor's State of the State, the people held their State of the State on Tuesday. The 29th annual rally was held at the State Street entrance to the Capitol in Albany. Organizers say they're worried about the new federal tax plan and massive budget cuts which could be on the horizon for the neediest New Yorkers. Organizations at Tuesday's rally say the governor and state lawmakers need to take action to protect those in need from federal cuts. [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T10:58:07-05:00January 3rd, 2018|FPI in the News, State Budget|

Lawmakers Look ahead to State of the State

January 3, 2018. CBS6 News: As lawmakers return to the Capitol this year, they face fiscal challenges, including a state budget deficit of more than $4 billion. Wednesday, Gov. Cuomo delivers his State of the State Address, which will outline some of his priorities. CBS6's Heather Kovar spoke with lawmakers Tuesday, and they say this is going to be a challenging year. Access to news clip HERE.

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T10:55:30-05:00January 3rd, 2018|FPI in the News, State Budget|

Advocates Propose Capturing Part of Fed’s Corporate Tax Cut

January 3, 2018. In Albany on Tuesday, advocates for the needy proposed a “recapture tax” in which the state would keep some of the federal tax breaks headed to corporations. The advocates said the recapture tax could help make up for expected federal cuts to Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and other programs proposed for later this year that would worsen the plight of the working poor in New York. Congressional leaders and President Donald Trump said they would consider cutting the entitlement programs in part [...]

Anthony Troia2021-01-06T10:54:52-05:00January 3rd, 2018|FPI in the News|

29th Annual People’s State of the State

January 3, 2018. From the Capital Tonight Staff, state and local advocates rallied outside the Capitol on Monday for the annual "People's State of the State." This is its 29th year. Groups gather to discuss what they want lawmakers to consider for the upcoming session. It happens the day before the governor presents his state of the state address. Susan Zimet from the Hunger Action Network and Ron Deutsch from the Fiscal Policy Institute join us to talk more about it. Access to Video [...]

Anthony Troia2018-01-03T12:49:46-05:00January 3rd, 2018|FPI in the News, State Budget|

Cuomo Delivers Eighth State of the State Address Wednesday

January 3, 2018. Gov. Andrew Cuomo delivers his State of the State address on Wednesday, kicking off a challenging year of budget deficits and re-election races. This article states that the governor fought unsuccessfully to reverse the elimination of the deduction for state and local taxes, which harms some middle-class and wealthy taxpayers in the state. Cuomo, speaking on CNN over the holidays, said he’ll announce in his State of the State a plan to re-engineer the state’s tax code to try to mitigate the [...]

Anthony Troia2018-01-03T11:37:43-05:00January 3rd, 2018|FPI in the News, State Budget|