Testimony

FPI Testifies to the Rent Guidelines Board

Rent Guidelines Board votes to lower range of possible rent increases for 2-year leases Download the Slides Watch the Testimony Last Thursday, FPI’s Chief Economist, Emily Eisner, testified to the Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) of New York City, at the invitation of one of the Board’s Tenant members, Adán Soltren. Dr. Eisner's testimony made the case that current economic conditions and uncertainty regarding federal housing and safety-net policy demand that the RGB [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-05-28T09:46:01-04:00May 28th, 2025|Economic Trends & Policy, Housing, Testimony|

FPI Testifies to NYS Senate on Fines and Fees

FPI's Chief Economist, Jonas Shaende, was invited to testify before the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Codes and the New York State Senate Standing Committee on Crime Victims, Crime, and Corrections. Dr. Shaende spoke in support of the proposed S.3979C (Salazar)/A.2348B (Niou), the End Predatory Court Fees Act. Testimony: Full Text

Jonas Shaende2024-12-18T12:24:17-05:00October 29th, 2021|City Budget, Testimony|

FPI Testifies to Congress on Immigrant Businesses and Economic Recovery

The director of FPI's Immigration Research Initiative, David Dyssegaard Kallick, was invited to testify before the Congressional Small Business Committee about the role of immigrant businesses in the economic recovery after Covid. Kallick talked about two recovery scenarios: A Main Street-centered rebuilding that picks up on some innovations from the Covid period such as outdoor restaurants, expanded pedestrian areas, and bike paths that have transformed many downtowns and urban centers in very positive ways. This scenario would entail Main Streets as vibrant places where people [...]

david2024-12-18T12:24:18-05:00April 30th, 2021|Blog, Migration, Testimony|

Public Testimony Integral to New York’s State Budget Process

New York State’s constitution requires the governor to provide the state legislature with a yearly balanced budget proposal including the necessary appropriation bills and legislation. The Legislature reviews the proposed executive budget and offers changes or modifications and enacts the state budget. As is customary, Governor Cuomo presented his proposed Executive Budget for FY 21-22 in January which was followed by a review and analysis from both legislative houses. The Assembly Ways and Means Committee’s Review and Analysis of the 2021-22 Executive Budget is known [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2025-04-04T14:27:23-04:00February 23rd, 2021|Blog, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|

Brief: New York State’s Continuing Tax Reform: governor’s unincorporated business income tax proposal

July 16, 2018.The State of New York continues to evaluate possible adjustments to its tax system in response to the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). Governor Cuomo proposed the idea of a statewide unincorporated business income tax (UBT) in early 2018. Perhaps due to the complexity involved, the UBT did not make it into the state budget package along with the other response measures: a payroll tax workaround, decoupling of rules for itemized deductions and other state tax rules from the [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:25:44-05:00July 20th, 2018|Tax Policy, Testimony|

Testimony at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the FY 2018 Executive Budget – Taxes

February 7, 2017. Executive Director Ron Deutsch testified before the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees on the Governor’s FY 2018 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan. Income inequality, as indicated by the richest 1 percent share of total income, has grown substantially since 1980 in New York State as well as nationally. One of the most sensible tools the state has to address the growing income gap in New York is the millionaires' tax. The proposed extension of the millionaires' tax will help narrow the gap, [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:26:57-05:00February 7th, 2017|State Budget, Testimony|

Testimony on the Report of the NYC Council Task Force on Economic Development Tax Expenditures

September 22, 2016. James Parrott, a member of the New York City Council's Task Force on Economic Development Tax Expenditures chaired by Finance Committee Chair Julissa Ferreras, presented this testimony at a September 22 hearing on the Task Force report and recommendations for a rigorous, ongoing evaluation procedure. He also urged the Council to convene a hearing on the Hudson Yards property tax breaks, the costs of which are rapidly rising. PDF of Testimony

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:26:59-05:00September 22nd, 2016|Economic Trends & Policy, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Testimony|

Testimony: Proposed $15 Baltimore Minimum Wage

June 15, 2016. In testimony before the Baltimore City Council, James Parrott, says it would be sound public policy for the City of Baltimore to phase in a $15 an hour minimum wage. Considerable compelling and economically sound research supports the conclusion that businesses can accommodate such an increase. A higher wage floor would generate significant cost savings due to reduced turnover and there is room for modest price increases to ease the adjustment without jeopardizing overall employment levels or profitability. Businesses of all sizes [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:26:59-05:00June 15th, 2016|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, Testimony|

A Grand Alliance to Save Our Public Postal Service

May 12, 2016. The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is under attack by forces that favor privatization and oppose sensible proposals to invest in expanding its package delivery services and in re-introducing postal banking services that exist in many countries and that were provided in the United States from 1910 to 1966. With the Postal Service’s unparalleled network of post offices in every neighborhood and village in the country, postal banking has the potential to provide affordable, consumer-friendly financial services to lower-income households and communities that [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:00-05:00May 12th, 2016|Economic Outlook, Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, Testimony|

FPI Testimony in US Senate on Immigration

March 16, 2016. The director of FPI's Immigration Research Initiative, David Dyssegaard Kallick, testified today before a U.S. Senate hearing on immigration, making the case that immigrants are contributing robustly to the United States economy, Written testimony is here. Video available here. In the video, the hearing starts at 21.08; Kallick's remarks are at 1:01:15, 1:17:03, and 2:04:05.

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:01-05:00March 16th, 2016|Migration, Testimony|

Testimony at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the FY 2017 Executive Budget – Workforce Development

February 3, 2016. James Parrott testified at a New York State Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees hearing on workforce development about the impace of a $15 an hour minimum wage.

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:02-05:00February 3rd, 2016|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, State Budget, Testimony|

Testimony at the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the FY 2017 Executive Budget – Taxes

February 2, 2016. Executive Director Ron Deutsch testified before the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees on the Governor’s FY 2017 Proposed Budget and Financial Plan. Income inequality has increased in New York during the recovery with income for the 1 percent growing faster than the average income for everyone else. New York’s combined state and local tax structure is regressive and several rounds of substantial multi-year tax cuts in the past three years have done nothing, on net, to make the tax [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:02-05:00February 2nd, 2016|City Budget, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Tax Policy, Testimony|

Testimony: Overall Impact of a $15 State Minimum Wage

January 7, 2016. James Parrott testified at a New York State Senate Standing Committee on Labor hearing. In his conclusion, Parrott asserts that it would be sound public policy for New York State to phase in a $15 an hour minimum wage. Considerable economically sound research supports the conclusion that the businesses can accommodate such an increase. A higher wage floor would generate significant cost savings due to reduced turnover and there is room for modest price increases to ease the adjustment without jeopardizing overall [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:02-05:00January 7th, 2016|Economic Trends & Policy, Labor Market & Workforce, State Budget, Tax & Budget, Testimony|

Need for Federal Action to Address Puerto Rico’s Fiscal, Debt and Economic Crisis

September 25, 2015. James Parrott testified before the New York City Council today regarding three resolutions calling on Congress and the President to take action to address the Puerto Rican fiscal-debt-economic crisis. The resolutions deal with the issues of bankruptcy authority, Federal health care financing, and amending the Jones Act that has significantly raised shipping costs to and from Puerto Rico. Parrott’s testimony discusses the importance of Federal action given the governance constraints imposed on Puerto Rico by its status as a “territory,” and he [...]

Fiscal Policy Institute2024-12-18T12:27:03-05:00September 25th, 2015|Economic Trends & Policy, Tax & Budget, Testimony|