News

12
May
2005
Editor's note: Tables showing proposed tax and spending increases in individual school districts in New York State. ALBANY—School districts across New York State plan to increase per-pupil spending by more than twice the rate of inflation in the coming year, a new "School Tax Watch" study by The Public Policy Institute finds
10
May
2005
New York State increased spending on Medicaid and other programs more than most states in fiscal 2003, according to a new report examining how states responded to tough fiscal challenges brought on by the 2001 economic slowdown and the 9/11 terrorist attacks
09
May
2005
The Business Council has joined a statewide coalition of health-care interests in a new effort to implement health-care strategies that will improve outcomes for patients. The effort, part of a new initiative from the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) called the 100,000 Lives Campaign, is being led and coordinated by the Healthcare Association of New York (HANYS)
05
May
2005
A new analysis of New York State polling data suggests that New Yorkers in general and Upstaters in particular do not consider state lawmakers’ on-time budget in 2005 meaningful progress in improving the state, but are waiting instead for substantive policy changes that will improve the economy
04
May
2005
The last thing New York and its taxpayers need is a budget process that will make excessive spending and taxes even more likely. But the legislature's proposed constitutional amendment would do just that. We have heard of no fiscal expert anywhere who recommends this change
04
May
2005
The Business Council and more than two dozen other business groups today renewed their call for relief from state mandates that inflate the cost of health insurance. Using “Cover the Uninsured Week” as a backdrop, The Council and various chambers and business groups lobbied lawmakers in Albany today to make the point that more health insurance mandates will increase insurance premiums and lead to more uninsured New Yorkers, especially among small businesses and their workers
03
May
2005
Echoing many other studies, the Buffalo News has contrasted spending and academic performance in western New York schools and concluded that more per-pupil spending does not guarantee better academic results. One article in the series compared two school districts, Lancaster in Erie County and Barker in Niagara County
22
Apr
2005
Responding to criticism from The Business Council and others, the state Thruway Authority has revised a proposal that would increase tolls on the state's thruway system, according to a release from the New York State Thruway Authority
21
Apr
2005
New York lawmakers’ failure to re-enact Article X power plant siting law could result in a potential energy shortage in the near future, according to the state’s Independent Systems Operator (NYISO) in its annual report on state power trends. “In order to have sufficient in-state generation, New York State needs to site significant generation additions, commencing immediately, to meet its capacity requirements between the years 2008 and 2011,” the report said
21
Apr
2005
ALBANY—The Business Council today sharply criticized the Pataki administration’s decision to reject a proposal to build a new cement plant on the Hudson River in Columbia County. “Your decision to deny the permit of St. Lawrence Cement denies workers jobs, communities tax revenues, and residents of the Hudson Valley a cleaner environment,” Business Council President Daniel B