News

12
Nov
2004
New York State falls behind most other states in overall health despite spending more on Medicaid and other health-care programs, a national study has found. The report, by the United Health Foundation, shows that New York scores well on health-related factors such as rate of motor vehicle deaths and occupational fatalities
09
Nov
2004
New York employers will pay an additional federal unemployment-insurance tax of $21 per employee in January, to replenish a fund drained by job losses during and after the last national recession. The federal Labor Department advanced New York's unemployment fund hundreds of millions of dollars to pay UI benefits in 2002, 2003 and this year
08
Nov
2004
The Business Council of New York State New York State's unemplyment insurance fund is depleted because we're not creating and keeping enough jobs in the Empire State. For the 12 months ending in September, employment in New York rose by 0
05
Nov
2004
The state Senate has sent Governor Pataki, for his approval or veto, proposed legislation that would make numerous changes to the state budget process. Business Council President Daniel B. Walsh has urged the Governor to veto the bill, and to oppose an associated proposal that would amend the state Constitution's provisions related to the budget
29
Oct
2004
ALBANY—New York’s state and local governments pay public employees more than any state except California, and the number of government workers compared to population is among the highest in the country, according to a Public Policy Institute analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau numbers
27
Oct
2004
New York State Education Commissioner Richard P. Mills will be the featured speaker at a Nov. 15 luncheon in Westchester County designed to encourage business leaders to get involved in advocacy for public-school reform. The seminar is part of The Business Council’s “Engage New York” seminar series
26
Oct
2004
"Questionable" financial practices in the state’s Health Care Reform Act (HCRA) program could mean taxpayers will have to spend an additional $400 million this year, according to a new report released by Comptroller Alan Hevesi. The report said that HCRA spending has outpaced revenue growth by more than $1 billion over the past two years
19
Oct
2004
In response to strong demand from its members, The Business Council is forming a Homeland Security Council (HSC) to help Council members learn about and take advantage of procurement opportunities in homeland security. The new council expects to inaugurate a variety of activities in 2005
15
Oct
2004
In an era in which jobs are becoming more knowledge-based and requiring more education and training, New York State must keep its academic standards high, measure student achievement based on them, and hold schools, teachers, and students accountable for results, The Business Council’s education-policy specialist testified at a state hearing this month
14
Oct
2004
For the second time this month, a major national study of the economic climates of the 50 states has ranked New York near the bottom. A new study from the non-partisan Tax Foundation, the “State Business Tax Climate Index,” concluded that New York’s “tax climate” for business ranks 49th, ahead of only Hawaii’s