New York’s Pathway to Shared Prosperity: Economic and Fiscal Outlook for FY 2020
February 12th, 2019. The Fiscal Policy Institute released its 29th annual New York State budget briefing book, New York's Pathway to Shared Prosperity: Economic and Fiscal Outlook for FY 2020. FPI's budget briefing book analyzes the Governor's FY 2020 Executive Budget and makes policy recommendations that would benefit all New Yorkers in the areas of taxes, human services, immigration, education, and more. You can find the sections of the report below: Policy Recommendations Financial Plan and Income Inequality Local Government Economic Development Human Services, Housing and Health Immigration Education All Sections If you have any questions or concerns [...]
Automatic Voter Registration: Good for Democracy and Sound Fiscal Sense
February 11, 2019. New York is in many ways thought of as a progressive state, but in terms of the basic democratic function of voting we are far behind most of the country. In voter registration, for instance, New York ranks 46th out of 50 states in share of citizens over 18 years old who are registered to vote. Automatic Voter Registration is a solution being currently considered that would leave far fewer people behind. As with any new proposal, it is worth examining the potential fiscal impacts. The Fiscal Policy Institute concludes in an analysis released today that the [...]
Press Release: Statewide Coalition Urges State Leaders to Adopt New Hope Budget for All of New York
For Immediate Release: December 18, 2018 Media Contacts: Peter Cook, Executive Director, New York State Council of Churches - 508.380.8289 Ron Deutsch, Executive Director, FPI - 518.469.6769 Michael Kink, Executive Director, Strong Economy for All Coalition 518.527.2787 Statewide Coalition Urges State Leaders to Adopt New Hope Budget for All of New York The New Hope Budget Albany, NY – Representatives from organizations across the state unveiled a set of principles which address the cries of far too many New Yorkers who have been left behind in this economic recovery. The Coalition urged elected officials from every part of the state—rural, suburban, [...]
Webinar: What New York’s Community Organizations Need To Know About Public Charge
Join FPI For A Webinar On: What New York's Community Organizations Need To Know About Public Charge Last month, the Department of Homeland Security publicized a proposed Public Charge rule that would punish immigrants going through official immigration processes and their families for applying for or receiving government benefits for which they are legally eligible. This would take away vital government assistance programs such as SNAP, Medicaid, and housing assistance from low-income immigrant families, including U.S. citizen children. Denying access to basic needs programs will decimate their health and well-being. Once the proposed rule change is published, there will be [...]
Every New Yorker Counts
November 2, 2018. On Monday the Fiscal Policy Institute joined members of the New York Counts 2020 coalition in front of Federal Hall to call on the governor and the state legislators to include $40 million in the state budget to fund community-based organizations working on maximizing participation in the 2020 census. Congressmember Jerry Nadler spoke powerfully about the reasons this census count will be especially challenging, with a federal government creating barriers to participation. Kathryn Wylde, president and CEO of the Partnership for New York City, spoke about the vital importance of an accurate count to businesses and to [...]
Squeezing Refugees: Numbers for 2018 by State and Metro Area
November 2, 2018. Earlier this year, the Pew Research Center published a report showing that refugee resettlement was scaled back in the United States more dramatically in the United States than in any other country. In 2018, however, the refugee resettlement numbers have dropped even more dramatically. With data through the end of October already available, we can calculate pretty reasonably what the full year will look by extrapolating from the first 10 months of the year. For comparison, below are the number of refugees resettled in the United States and in each state (plus Puerto Rico and Washington, DC) [...]
Hispanic Representation in NY: Closing the Gap…Slowly
November 1, 2018. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, NALEO, keeps track of how many Hispanics serve in different government offices around the country. In New York, the numbers have been rising, but rising very slowly, over the past two decades. Over 20 year ago, in 1996, two of the 33 United States representatives New York sent to Washington were Hispanic, both serving in the U.S. House of Representatives. In 2018, the total number of representatives was down to 29, due to reapportionment, and of those three were Hispanic. That’s an increase from six percent to 10 [...]
Census 2020: NYS Should Invest $40 Million to Fund Community Outreach
October 30, 2018. In a new report, the Fiscal Policy Insititute details the resources community-based groups will require to maximize participation in the 2020 Census among “hard to count” residents across New York State. FPI proposes that the governor and legislature include $40 million in next year’s state budget for community-based organizations to do outreach around the 2020 Census. FPI notes that this should be in addition to whatever funds the state commits to its own outreach and media campaigns and funding to local governments. The study was first unveiled at a press conference Monday with the New York Counts 2020 Coalition. [...]
FPI Estimates Human & Economic Impacts of Public Charge Rule: 24 Million Would Experience Chilling Effects
October 10, 2018. Today, the Trump Administration published its proposed reinterpretation of a previously arcane rule, known as “public charge.” The new interpretation would radically restrict access to green cards and various types of visas for immigrants who do not have a high enough income, or who have used public health, food, or housing supports they are otherwise qualified to receive. Without input from Congress, the Trump Rule would fundamentally change this country’s approach to immigration, making income and use of public supports central considerations in whether or not to offer people an opportunity to make their lives in this [...]
Anchor Institutions: Refugee Resettlement Agencies
September 11, 2018. The Trump administration’s decision to decrease the number of refugees admitted and in general slow down the refugee resettlement process means that only a trickle of refugees are coming into the United States. As FPI noted in our recent reporton refugee employment, the United States is on track to resettle just 20,000 refugees in 2018, down from 97,000 in 2016. This is a tragedy for refugees, who languish in resettlement camps or live in horrific danger. For the United States, it is also a strain on communities around the country, nowhere more so than in upstate New York. [...]
New Wave of Refugee Research: An Emerging Consensus
July 30, 2018. For many decades, refugees were not at the center of attention in immigration debates. Refugee resettlement was viewed as a duty to the United States that we handled quietly and with pride. There were debates about how to handle border enforcement, interior enforcement, visas for farm workers, visas for high-skilled workers, and of course constant wrestling about a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants. Refugee resettlement, never a big share of overall immigration, was seen as a humanitarian imperative. Today, that looks different. Refugees were very prominently in the news in the summer of 2015, large numbers [...]
Interview: Rethinking the Property Tax Cap
July 20, 2018. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities recently released a new report on property tax restrictions which concluded that state limits on property taxes should be relaxed or repealed because they make it more difficult for localities to provide services. Ron Deutsch, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute, joins Michael Leachman from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities on Capital Tonight on Spectrum News in discussing how property taxes are unable to keep up with the rising costs of services that local governments are expected to provide and the lack of state aid to make [...]
Brief- Ranked Choice Voting: Saving Money While Improving Elections
Ranked Choice Voting: Saving Money While Improving Elections June 28, 2018. The New York City Charter Review Commission is currently reviewing several proposals for changes to the charter. The proposal for ranked choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting, has garnered a good deal of enthusiasm around the city, but some questions have been raised about what the cost of such a system might be. The Fiscal Policy Institute examined this question, and our conclusion is that there would be a net savings, not a cost, in moving to ranked choice voting. Under ranked choice, voters would use the [...]
Op-Ed: Don’t Jump After Janus: Why Public Workers Should Stick With Their Unions
June 28, 2018. The following op-ed about the Supreme Court ruling on Janus vs. AFSCME written by FPI's senior economist, Brent Kramer; deputy director, David Kallick; and chief economist, Jonas Shaende, was featured in the NY Daily News. The recent Supreme Court ruling in Janus vs. AFSCME poses a real threat to public sector unions. Traditionally, in New York — as in many other states — everyone covered by a union contract was required to pay either dues or an “agency fee” to support the union’s work on behalf of all employees. In the Janus decision, the Supreme Court ruled that [...]
Brief: Strong Public Employees’ Unions in New York: Better Pay, Benefits, and Working Conditions for All
June 27, 2018. By: Brent Kramer, David Dyssegaard Kallick, and Jonas Shaende The Supreme Court’s ruling today about public sector unions puts a significant new barrier in front of unions around the country. Traditionally, in New York—as in many other states—everyone covered by a union contract was required to pay either dues or an “agency fee” to support the union’s work on behalf of all employees. In the Janus decision, the Supreme Court ruled that public-sector employees can’t be compelled to pay for the union’s work, even though they benefit from it. Unions will still be expected to defend and [...]
FPI joins Government and Budget Watchdogs to Call on Assembly Speaker Heastie to Allow Vote on Database of Deals and Comptroller’s Procurement Integrity Act
June 18, 2018. The Fiscal Policy Institute joined Citizens Budget Commission, Citizens Union, Common Cause NY, and Reinvent Albany in front of the Federal Courthouse in Manhattan to call on Assembly Speaker Heastie to Allow a vote on the Database of Deals and Comptroller’s Procurement Integrity Act. FPI’s Chief Economist, Jonas Shaende gave the following remarks during the press conference this afternoon, “The lack of transparency and proper oversight enables corruption as is evidenced by these massive criminal trials. The public should know where and how public money is spent. Without appropriate data it is hard to tell whether New [...]
FPI Supports Calls to Protect SNAP
June 14, 2018. FPI’s Policy Analyst, Shamier Settle and Chief Economist, Jonas Shaende joined the Poor People’s Campaign and Rise & Resist at their rally against potential cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The House Agriculture Committee farm bill (H.R. 2) outlines cuts and discontinuation of SNAP benefits (formerly known as food stamps) for a substantial number of low-income Americans. This proposal contains $20 billion in cuts to the SNAP program and provisions for expanded work requirements. There is little empirical evidence that such requirements lead to improvements in employment. In the state of New York nearly 3 million people [...]
Cynthia Nixon Aims to Tax Wealthy to Pay for $7 Billion Education Plan
June 13, 2018. This article discusses how gubernatorial candidate, Cynthia Nixon, plans to raise taxes on high-earners and businesses to pay for her $7.4 billion education plan to expand access to college and boost spending on K-12 education. Multiple organizations, including the Fiscal Policy Institute, commented on her plans to raise taxes to pay for expanding education and mass transit throughout the state. Jonas Shaende, chief economist at the left-leaning Fiscal Policy Institute, said he supported efforts to find more revenues through taxes on the wealthiest residents. While some critics of boosting taxes say high-earners would flee New York to [...]
In Albany, Nixon backs tax cap, but has plan to ease override procedure
June 8, 2018. This articles discusses how gubernatorial candidate, Cynthia Nixon, expressed her support for the two percent property tax cap and that overriding it should be easier if residents of a school district want to exceed that cap during an Albany meeting with school superintendents. Multiple organizations, including the Fiscal Policy Institute, weighed in during the meeting about the impact of tax cuts. Before Nixon arrived, superintendents heard from state finance experts Frank Mauro and E.J. McMahon on how the Republican/Trump tax cuts may affect their finances. Mauro, who is the emeritus director of the union-backed Fiscal Policy Institute, [...]
Legislative Briefing: Supporting New York’s Local Governments
May 22, 2018 Empire State Plaza, Meeting Room 4, Albany, NY This legislative briefing will address the problem of fiscal stress among New York’s local governments and the role the State Legislature can play in addressing these challenges. What can NY learn from other states? What does the in depth research on NYS show? We are seeing important shifts in intergovernmental relations, most recently with the Federal tax reform on SALT. How can NY best respond to these challenges? Come share in a discussion of research by Cornell University, local government associations and policy think tanks. Join us on May 22, [...]
Interactive Maps: SNAP Participation Rates and SNAP Retailers
May 7, 2018. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, SNAP for short, is the country's largest and most effective nutrition program. In New York State, over 2.8 million people utilize SNAP every year, including 1.1 million children. More than $4.9 billion in SNAP benefits were spent at over 18,000 New York retailers in 2016. SNAP is a part of the Farm Bill, a piece of legislation which authorizes most federal policies governing food and agriculture programs. Approximately 80 percent of the Farm Bill is SNAP funding and the remaining 20 percent is for crop subsidies, insurance, and other agriculture-related programs. SNAP [...]