Taxes and Spending
Four Problems with a Statewide Pied-à-Terre Tax
Soon after Governor Hochul floated the idea of a “pied-à-terre” tax in New York City, Albany Sen. Patricia Fahy proposed to expand the concept to the rest of the state. As with Hochul’s still-sketchy proposal, Fahy says her…
Albany Should Listen to Jamie Dimon
In his annual message to shareholders, JP Morgan Chase’s chief executive, Jamie Dimon, offered a timely and pointed warning for New York policymakers. It’s worth quoting in full, with emphasis added for a few key points:…
Empire Center Breaks Down Albany’s Pork Barrel Spending
Albany legislators steered over $83 million in grants to 293 local projects between April and December 2025 , according to data the Empire Center recently received under a Freedom of Information Law request. The governor and…
SeeThroughNY updated with latest union contracts
New York’s most comprehensive online database of state and local government union contracts has been updated with the latest collective bargaining agreements for local teachers, police, firefighters, libraries, and public…
Five Retired New York Educators Collect Over $300k In Pensions
The average state pension benefit for newly retired educators with at least 30 years of service was $78,097 in 2024-25, according to data released recently by SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website.…
Mamdani Gets an Important Tax Fact Wrong
At a hearing in Albany last week, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani lobbied state lawmakers to help him balance the city’s finances with a two-percentage-point hike in the city’s income tax on people making over $1 million.…
If Fraud In Minnesota Looks Bad, Wait Till You See Gavin Newsom’s California
Newsom’s budget gimmicks ignore the core issue: expanding programs without safeguards, then begging for bailouts when the math implodes. As a former California state assemblyman who spent four years on the Budget Committee, I…
Ninety New York Educators Receive $300k+ in Annual Pay
Ninety employees from New York’s school districts (outside New York City) received more than $300,000 during fiscal year 2025, according to new salary data posted today at SeeThroughNY.net, the Empire Center’s transparency…
NYC Employees Receive $300k+ in Overtime
Two New York City employees received more than $300,000 in overtime payouts, according to fiscal year 2025 payroll data posted on SeeThroughNY, the Empire Center’s government transparency website. The city paid a total of…
Parsing the Impact of Mamdani’s Tax Hike Plans
The front-running candidate for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, has said he can finance his costly campaign promises – including free buses and universal child care – by taxing only a sliver of the city’s residents and…
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