New
York's public debt is the nation's second highest on a per
capita basis, 88 percent above the national average - which
means that more government borrowing to address New York's
coming fiscal challenge would be unwise, a new fiscal analysis
from The Public Policy Institute of New York State shows
Local
taxes that are 63 percent above the national average are New
York's top competitive disadvantage, and history suggests
that more state aid to localities won't fix the problem, a
new fiscal analysis by The Public Policy Institute of New
York State shows
Nearly
half of all states are responding to budget challenges in
the current fiscal year by reducing state spending in net
enacted budgets, a new analysis shows.
The
National Governors Association (NGA) and the National Association
of State Budget Officers (NASBO) released their biannual report,
The Fiscal Survey of States, on Nov
The
National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that oversees
the nation's labor relations law, has expressed "serious concerns"
about the legality of state's new "labor neutrality law" -
the same concerns The Business Council voiced last summer
in vigorously opposing the union-backed bill
How
the state created the current state budget offers a strong
case for spending restraint in dealing with the state's current
fiscal challenge - because only spending restraint in previous
years made this year's $5 billion spending increase possible,
the latest state budget analysis by The Public Policy Institute
of New York State shows
To
combat skyrocketing health-care costs, New York State should
embrace a bold new approach to containing these costs: a government-wide
effort to reduce costs of both health-care and health insurance
by 10 percent, The Council has urged Governor George Pataki
If
New York had only as many state and local government workers
per capita as the national average and paid them only 3 percent
above the national average, the state's taxpayers would save
almost $14 billion a year, according to the latest state budget
analysis by The Public Policy Institute of New York State
New
York City's apparent determination to raise taxes makes it
even more important that to avoid state tax increases, a top
expert on city and state finances has told The Council.
"In
the years ahead, New York City's problems will case an especially
large shadow over Albany," said E
In
confronting a budget shortfall estimated at $5 billion or
more, New York State lawmakers should ignore pressure for
higher taxes already coming from pro-spending groups, according
to the latest state budget analysis by The Public Policy Institute
of New York State
Leaders
from business, labor, and energy associations joined Business
Council President Daniel B. Walsh at an Albany press conference
at which The Council renewed its call for an improved process
for siting electricity-generating plants in New York State