ALBANYTwo of New York State's leading think tanks on fiscal policy will sponsor a symposium on how and why New York State must reduce its costs of government. The symposium will take place Dec. 11 at the state Capitol in Albany.
The symposium, "It Can Be Done: Attacking the Cost of Government in New York State," is being sponsored by The Public Policy Institute and the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. The Public Policy Institute is the research affiliate of The Business Council of New York State.
The goal of the symposium is to offer information to the public, state lawmakers, and the news media about high taxing and government spending in New York State. The session will run from 10 a.m.-1:15 p.m. in the Assembly parlor at the state Capitol.
The symposium's agenda includes:
- An overview on the importance of reining in New York's above-average taxing and spending by Robert Ward, director of research for The Public Policy Institute.
- A discussion of opportunities for increasing efficiency in government, focusing on opportunities in managing for results and privatization.
Scheduled speakers include: Cynthia B. Green, a board member from the Governmental Accounting Standards Board; E. J. McMahon Jr., a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute; and Geoffrey Segal from the Reason Foundation - A review of the links between taxing and spending at the state and local levels. Scheduled presenters include: Charles Brecher of the Citizens Budget Commission, who will discuss New York's overspending; Marcus Winters of the Manhattan Institute, who will argue that higher educational spending does not guarantee better results; and Kathryn English from Associated Builders and Contractors, who will discuss how prevailing-wage laws inflate construction costs in New York State.
- A discussion of Medicaid costs. Scheduled speakers include: Albany County Comptroller Michael Conners, who will outline a proposal for Medicaid reform; and Medicaid expert John Rodat from SignalHealth LLC, who will discuss how different regions achieve significantly different results in their efforts to contain Medicaid costs.
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