De Blasio Pulls Off Deft Budget-Balancing Parlay
May 19, 2014. In this op-ed in The Chief, James Parrott discusses Mayor de Blasio's Executive Budget and the impact of the UFT labor settlement.
Arizona Law on Immigration Spooks Business Leaders-FPI in Huffington Post
April 16, 2014. FPI's David Dyssegaard Kallick wrote an op-ed for the Huffington Post, reporting on how Arizona business leaders see the economic impacts of the state's "Show Me Your Papers" law. It may be hard to statistically measure the economic impact of the bill, widely perceived as anti-immigrant, argues Kallick. But a good gauge of the damage done is how serious the state's business leaders have been about efforts to turn the anti-immigrant perception around. And, Kallick says, falling behind the curve on the [...]
The Next NYC Mayor’s Biggest Economic Challenge: Promoting Equitable Growth
August 12, 2013. “Promoting Equitable Growth” was the answer FPI’s James Parrott gave to the question, “What is the biggest economic challenge facing the next mayor of New York City?” Parrott’s response appeared recently in The New York Times’ “Room for Debate” on-line feature. Noting that income polarization is “America’s greatest challenge,” Parrott proposed that “The next mayor needs to infuse a growth agenda with recognition that more New Yorkers should share in the prosperity that results when individual efforts are combined with socially created [...]
Insulting a Poem, and our Heritage (A Daily News Op-Ed)
July 14, 2013. In an op-ed for the Daily News, by David Dyssegaard Kallick takes on the ways Emma Lazarus's famous poem ("give me your tired, your poor...") has distorted in recent media stories about immigration, and brings the debate back to America's roots. “Give me your tired, your poor . . . If there’s room after more Ph.D.s,” is the headline from a recent article in TechCrunch, which goes on to explain Congress’ “awe-inspiring consensus over its support for high-skilled immigrants.” What we really [...]
For True Immigration Reform, Hire Labor Inspectors, Not Border Guards (A Newsday Op-Ed)
June 27, 2013. A Newsday op-ed by David Dyssegaard Kallick stresses the need for labor standards enforcement as part of comprehensive immigration reform. Paying people off the books is, of course, illegal. But does it happen? We know it does. The good news is that there's no great mystery about how to stop it. Labor departments -- at the state and federal level -- are responsible for enforcing workplace standards. They are the ones who can ensure that employers are paying employees on the books, [...]
Different View of NY’s Inequality Numbers
March 11, 2013. A letter to the editor by James Parrott, Crain’s New York Business. Greg David's March 4 column (“Inequality debate doesn't reflect reality”) could have been titled “Economists agree NYC's inequality is very high and poverty is up; some think it's a problem.” Fiscal Policy Institute reports have documented this reality: The local economy has fared better than the nation overall in the recovery, yet inflation-adjusted median incomes here have plummeted by 8%, more than for the U.S. overall, and poverty has increased [...]
Op-ed: States lead the way on immigration reform
February 24, 2013. This op-ed piece by David Dyssegaard Kallick of FPI and Tanya Broder of the National Immigration Law Council ran in the Kansas City Star, the Denver Post, the Bradenton (Florida) Herald, the Anchorage Daily News, and other local papers around the country.
Social Security and Medicare programs speak to American values
August 9, 2012. An op ed by Dr. Brent Kramer and Dr. Susan Birns from the Berkshire Eagle. Kramer is an adjunct assistant professor of economics at the City University of New York and a research associate at FPI. Birns is professor of Sociology/Anthropology/Social Work at MCLA and board president of the Elizabeth Freeman Center.
Mind the income gap: Rich-and-poor divide continues
May 27, 2012. A letter to the editor by Frank Mauro and James Parrott, Crain's New York Business. Greg David's recent blog post on income inequality (“Flash: Inequality falls dramatically in NYC”) leaves out an important part of the story. Yes, incomes of the top 1% fell during the 2008-09 recession, and the top 1% share of total income declined. But since then, income polarization has clearly resumed. Berkeley economist Emmanuel Saez reported in early March that the top 1% of households nationally captured a [...]
New York state keeps its welfare promise – sort of
April 1, 2012. An op ed by Carolyn Boldiston, Poughkeepsie Journal.
N.Y. minimum wage doesn’t stretch as far as it used to
February 12, 2012. An op ed by Frank Mauro, Poughkeepsie Journal.
New York’s Leaders Join the Quest for Tax Fairness
January 12, 2012. Governor Cuomo emphasizes the need to close loopholes. This column by Frank Mauro - excerpt below - was published by 99% New York. Delivering on this objective will require an unbiased review of the litany of tax breaks that have enacted over the years in the name of economic development. Which ones actually create jobs and which ones do not? Which ones should be retained intact, which ones should be repealed, and which ones should be reformed? A year of careful study [...]
Fairer taxes, more jobs: Gov. Cuomo needs to look out for the unemployed
December 4, 2011. An op ed by James Parrott and Frank Mauro, New York Daily News. New York is in a state of inequality. But we can balance the budget, provide real middle class tax relief and a boost to job creation, all through sensible income tax reform.
Budget Busters
September 18, 2011. A letter by James Parrott, New York Post.
Can Obama’s Plan Erase New York’s Jobs Deficit?
September 14, 2011. An article by James Parrott, FPI's deputy director and chief economist, who writes regularly for Gotham Gazette's Economy section. Article >>