The Fiscal Policy Institute strongly supports the Billionaire Mark-to-Market Tax Act (S8277/A10414) that is expected to raise additional revenue for New York State to be used for multiple purposes, including supporting a fund that would provide weekly financial assistance to workers otherwise excluded from New York State Unemployment Insurance. Download the PDF.
April 17, 2020 Recently, the Federal Reserve took a welcome step forward for states struggling in the wake of the pandemic by creating a new way to lend money directly to states and municipalities. Through the Municipal Liquidity Facility, New York and other states struggling with a sudden drop-off in much-needed revenue can now access the funds needed to cover essential services. While this is helpful in the short-term, states will need to borrow until their revenues recover. And that would require the facility to be expanded: loan [...]
For Immediate Release: April 4, 2020 Media Contact: communications@fiscalpolicy.org, 518-786-3156 Reflections on the New York State Budget (Albany, NY) The process of crafting the FY 2020-2021 State Budget began with warnings of a dire budget shortfall and concluded with efforts to alleviate the fallout caused by an economy brought to a sudden standstill by a global pandemic. Throughout the budget process and the rising projections around revenue losses, FPI has called for public policies based on research and careful analysis that provide a clear path toward creating a more just and equitable state. We will continue our work in partnership [...]
For Immediate Release: March 31, 2020 (Albany, NY) Today the Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) released a set of recommendations to safeguard New York’s budget process and ensure a just budget for all. Predictions of a budget shortfall preceded the unforeseen economic impact of the pandemic and FPI urged leadership to think beyond the continued use of the same austerity budget measures put in place year after year. Now, faced with the urgent needs of our community members, FPI urges Governor Cuomo and state leadership [...]
Our state budget is an opportunity to define our values and choose our future. Will our actions reinforce inequity and inequality or can we pull together to create a more just New York for all? FPI took a look at the proposed executive budget and shared our thoughts in two presentations, one in Albany and one in New York City. If you missed those informative events, you can still take a look at what was presented. Financial Plan Economic Development Education Health Care Housing Human Services Immigration [...]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 8, 2020 Media Contact: communications@fiscalpolicy.org, 518-786-3156 Fiscal Policy Institute Reacts to Governor Cuomo's State of the State Address FPI Agrees that New Yorkers Deserve Results, Not Rhetoric Statement from Ron Deutsch, Executive Director, Fiscal Policy Institute “Governor Cuomo is right that New Yorkers deserve results, not rhetoric. While our state economy booms, we continue to be short-changed by austerity budgeting. Missing from the governor’s State of the State address is clarity on closing the budget gap and meeting our state’s pressing needs. The [...]
January 6, 2020 As the New York State legislative session begins with the state facing a multi-billion-dollar state budget deficit, the question is clear—what kind of New York do we want and how will we get there? The Fiscal Policy Institute (FPI) urges Governor Andrew Cuomo, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl E. Heastie to choose sound economic and social policies that promote growth and development for the many rather than the few so that all New Yorkers have an equal chance at opportunity. FPI knows that we can craft [...]
December 10, 2019 Heading toward New York State's 2020 legislative session, with concern rising over a projected budget deficit and the needs of residents, FPI held an event exploring the issue and released a report that revealing that our state leads the nation as having the most unequal distribution of income. Not since the so called “gilded age” of the 1920’s has there been such a vast divide between the highest- and lowest-income New Yorkers. The report finds that the top 1% of all New [...]
More than 6.5 million New York State residents would directly benefit from the Working Families Tax Relief Act (WFTRA) which would provide tax credits and tax reductions to struggling workers and their families. WFTRA would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for families with children and strengthen it for workers not raising children. The legislation would also make the Child Tax Credit (CTC) refundable, allowing children in families with lower incomes to fully benefit from the program. Learn more by reading two op-eds which ran [...]
We can use federal tax policy to help struggling New Yorkers and support local communities with the Working Families Tax Relief Act (WFTRA). More than 6.5 million New York State residents would directly benefit from WFTRA's tax credits and tax reductions to boost incomes - especially helpful as most workers have seen their wages stagnate. WFTRA would expand the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for families with children and strengthen it for workers not raising children. The legislation would also make the Child Tax Credit (CTC) [...]
On many levels, New York is an affluent state with high median incomes, quality schools, and prosperous corporations, but as the United Way reports, 45 percent of households in NYS cannot afford basic necessities. As evidenced by the United Way of New York’s comprehensive, data-driven ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report, relying on the federal poverty guidelines is a poor measure – it is clear that while struggling working families may be above the poverty line, they are far from secure. On May 30th, [...]
Strengthening the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Care Credit Boosts New York’s Working Families PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release: May 30, 2019 Contact: Dede Hill, Director of Policy, Schuyler Center for Analysis and Advocacy (518) 879-6616 / dhill@scaany.org Pete Nabozny, The Children’s Agenda (518) 929-1264 / pete@thechildrensagenda.org Legislators & Advocates Call for Working Family Tax Credits to Fight Childhood Poverty Strengthening the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Care Credit Boosts New York’s Working Families (Albany, NY) On many levels, New York is an [...]
For Immediate Release: April 10, 2019 Media Contact: communications@fiscalpolicy.org, 518-786-3156 New Proposal Gives Needed Boost to New York’s Working Families (Albany, NY) New York’s Fiscal Policy Institute welcomed Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s sponsorship of the Working Families Tax Relief Act- legislation that would begin to fix our tax laws to help working people with low-wage jobs make ends meet as they work to support themselves and their families. Introduced today the proposal would strengthen the highly successful Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) [...]
April 3, 2019. This article discusses the disappointment that advocates expressed when the New York State 2020 fiscal year budget was passed and it did not include a pied-a-terre tax, that would have implemented a recurring tax on non-primary residences that were worth more than $5 million. The author goes on to highlight that although a pied-a-terre tax was not included, a "mansion" tax, which will implement a one-time tax on residences sold for more than $25 million and a real estate transfer fee was included. [...]
April 3, 2019. This op-ed discusses the opposition to the governor and lieutenant governor's pay raises included in New York State's 2020 fiscal year budget. The author notes that Governor Cuomo received a 40 percent pay raise and will be the highest paid chief executive by 2021. The author goes on to discuss how the pay raise was included in the budget despite funding for library construction and the Special Olympics being cut. Once again, the state budget was passed on time — but just barely. [...]