Balancing New York State’s 2009-2010 Budget in an Economically Sensible Manner
January 14, 2009. The Fiscal Policy Institute's nineteenth annual budget briefing. Briefing book >>
FPI Reaction to the 2009-2010 Executive Budget
December 16, 2008. The governor's proposal hurts low- and moderate-income New Yorkers while requiring little from wealthy New Yorkers, and would would cause needless harm to the state economy. The lessons from 2003 show that New York can successfully close large budget gaps without these negative impacts. Press release >>
Economists to Governor: Raise High-End Income Taxes To Help Close Budget Gaps
December 13, 2008. 120 economists from throughout New York State joined together this week to send a message to Albany: steep cuts in state spending will weaken the already struggling New York economy, and will hurt poor and middle income New Yorkers. In a letter to the governor, the economists urge him to take a balanced approach to closing the gap in the state budget between revenues and spending - an approach that includes raising taxes on high-income households.
New York State Commission on Property Tax Relief
December 1, 2008. An archived copy of the Commission's website (originally at "www.cptr.state.ny.us") is available through the New York State Library, including reports, fact sheets, webcasts and transcripts. Preliminary report - June 3, 2008 Final report - December 1, 2008
Testimony before the Assembly Ways and Means Committee hearing on the impact of the economic crisis on the state budget
November 13, 2008. Testimony submitted by FPI's Frank Mauro and Ronald Deutsch of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness. To avoid deepening the already threatening recession, the state must not rely solely on drastic cuts in state spending to close current and expected budget gaps. A balanced approach includes tapping the state's tax stabilization reserve fund (put together for this very purpose), surgical cuts in wasteful spending, and a high-end income tax surcharge like that used successfully in 2003 to close post-9/11 gaps.
Maximizing the Value and Use of State Assets
November 6, 2008. Testimony of James A. Parrott before the New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization. To fulfill the commission's charge to "maximize the value and use of state assets," the state should carefully consider in-house design and prevailing wage standards when setting up new projects. Also, economic development subsidies should include strict accountability standards; the state should not act as project investor without receiving in return an ownership stake for the taxpayers.
Testimony on MTA Financing
September 15, 2008. Testimony of James A. Parrott before the New York State Commission on MTA Financing. Albany will have to make some tough choices to align the MTA's recurring spending needs with recurring revenues. It will not be easy to do this during a downturn, but it is imperative that the State and the City put in place a phased-in approach that stabilizes MTA finances for the long term.
Bush Administration Rule Would Force Health Centers to Close
September 8, 2008. FPI and others urge Congress to block this hostile rule and provide temporary fiscal relief through Medicaid. The new rule would have wide-ranging negative impacts of the new rule; advocates ask for a one-year moratorium and for inclusion of a temporary increase to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) in the second emergency supplemental stimulus package. Press release and letter to members of Congress.
Opinion in the Albany Times Union
The Times Union has provided a forum for opinion pieces from various sources: September 7, 2008. A taxing solution: A tax cap forces Mass. towns to think about spending, by Richard P. Tisei, leader of the Republican minority in the Massachusetts Senate, and Bay State's Proposition 2½ not without difficulties, by Michael J. Widmer, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. July 20, 2008. A point/counterpoint pair of op eds on the proposed tax cap: Cap pressures government, not residents, to perform, by John J. Faso, [...]
Short Term Tax Relief and Long Term Tax Reform: An Omnibus Bill Approach
August 15, 2008. Tax reform options are receiving little attention during the current property tax debate as elected officials, the media, advocates and the general public look for ways to deliver more immediate property tax relief. In this presentation, FPI's Executive Director Frank Mauro makes the case for the Omnibus Property Tax Relief and Reform Act. He argues that immediate relief is best provided by a well-targeted property tax circuit-breaker; and that to ease the pressure on the local property tax base over the longer [...]
Déjà Vu All Over Again – Budget Balancing in Bad Times
August 14, 2008. Raising Revenue Needs to be Part of the Solution. Group press release >> "The lessons to be learned from New York’s fiscal policy choices during the last two recessions are clear. The balanced approach to the state’s budget that was adopted in 2003 worked much better than the deep service cuts of the early 1990s which prolonged and deepened the effects of that recession on New York State," said Frank Mauro, Executive Director of the Fiscal Policy Institute.
Latest IRS Data Reveal Fundamental Mismatch Between New York’s Income Distribution and Its Tax System
August 6, 2008. New data from the Internal Revenue Service bolster the case for a high-end income tax surcharge in New York. New York is one of ten states that have income distributions that particularly favor the wealthy few - while the progressivity of the state income tax has been weakened since the 1990s. With the state facing a budget deficit and political leaders seeking a way to pay for effective and immediate property tax relief, this is especially timely news. Press release with NYS [...]
Economists’ Statement Opposing the Lazio Tax Proposal
July 18, 2008. Over 110 economists from throughout New York state say the Lazio tax cut proposals are economically and socially irresponsible, jeopardizing Social Security and Medicare. Full statement, followed by a list of the economists endorsing it. Several weeks ago, eight Nobel laureates and over 300 other economists issued a public statement opposing the large-scale tax cuts that are the centerpiece of presidential candidate George W. Bush’s economic proposals. We, the undersigned, as economists who live and/or work in New York State, believe that [...]
Siena New York Poll: Circuit Breaker & Gas Tax Cut Top Property Tax Cap
July 14, 2008. While New York voters strongly support both a property tax cap and a property tax "circuit breaker," which ensures that property taxes do not exceed a certain percentage of a homeowner's income, when forced to choose between the two, a majority prefer the circuit breaker, according to a new Siena (College) Research Institute poll a new Siena Research Institute poll released today. More voters would rather see New York eliminate 32 cents of state gas taxes than cap property tax increases. "New [...]
Education policy experts weigh in on tax caps
July 14, 2008. A collection of materials from researchers and stakeholders, including the Council of School Superintendents and the PTA. It's Elementary, a monthly column by John Yinger, director of the Education Finance and Accountability Program and professor, Syracuse University's Maxwell School. See especially: Why a Property Tax Cap Is a Bad Idea for New York (June 2008) The Preliminary Report of the New York Commission on Property Tax Relief (May 2008) Reform in New York State's Education Aid Formula? (April 2008) Materials from the [...]