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November 20, 2006.  One New York: An Agenda for Shared Prosperity.  With a new governor in Albany for the first time in 12 years, New Yorkers have high expectations for the future, seeing a rare opportunity for the state to reevaluate its policies in a wide variety of areas. This political moment provides a particularly exciting chance for state government to develop a coherent economic agenda that will allow all of New York's regions to realize their full potential. One New York: An Agenda for Shared Prosperity is the Fiscal Policy Institute's contribution to this much-needed effort.

October 17, 2006.  Increasing access to food stamps would boost the New York City Economy.  Currently, the flow of federal food stamps into New York City - about $1.4 billion annually to nearly 1.1 million people at an average benefit of $110 per person per month - supports 9,600 jobs and $850 million of annual economic activity. If access to the program were expanded so that all those eligible were participating, food stamp spending would increase by $355 million, creating 2,300 more jobs and $210 million in additional economic activity each year, pushing the economic impact of food stamps well over the billion dollar mark.

September 27, 2006.  New York Makes Real Progress in Health Care Coverage.  The portion of the state population without health insurance has fallen from 16.3% in 2000 to 13.5% in 2005. Nevertheless, there are still 2.6 million people in the state who have no health insurance. The share of private sector employees covered by health insurance continued to fall while the portion of the population covered by government programs in New York rose from 27% to 31%. Two national reports were also released on health care issues today:

• Health Insurance Eroding for Working Families:   Employer-provided Coverage Declines for Fifth Consecutive Year - Economic Policy Institute.
• No Shelter from the Storm: America's Uninsured Children - Families USA - Campaign for Children's Health Care.

September 2, 2006.  The State of Working New York 2006: An Uneven Recovery.  Western New York lags, and wages stay flat while productivity rises.

August 29, 2006.  Poverty in New York Fails to Decline Despite Four Years of Economic "Growth." New Data Suggests Need to Reinvigorate Efforts to Combat Poverty. (HTML) FPI's analysis of the new poverty, income and health insurance data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau. PDF of this analysis with supporting tables.

August 8, 2006.  New York's Big Picture: A Report to the New York Film, Television and Commercial Initiative. FPI worked with researchers from Cornell University's School of Industrial and Labor Relations and City and Regional Planning Department on this study of New York's film, television and commercial production industries. Among the findings: Including direct, indirect and induced effects, the total value added by these industries in New York was an estimated $13.1 billion in 2005, considerably higher than previous estimates of the film sector's impact.

August 3, 2006.  Testimony presented by James A. Parrott, FPI's Deputy Director and Chief Economist, to the New York City Industrial Development Agency on its proposal to provide special additional tax breaks to all commercial construction projects in the Hudson Yards area of Manhattan. (PDF)

July 7, 2006.  State Policies and Their Impact on Local Property Tax Rates, and a Critique of the STAR Program (excerpted from FPI's 2006-07 Budget Briefing Book.  (PDF)

June 28, 2006.  99 Percent of New Yorkers Lose Under Bush "Tax and Borrow" Fiscal Policies. (PDF)

June 11, 2006.  A New York Daily News Point/Counterpoint on Public Pension Policy with James Parrott, the Fiscal Policy Institute's Deputy Director and Chief Economist, and Charles Brecher, the Citizens Budget Commission's Research Director presenting their opposing views. (HTML)

June 5, 2006.  Sorting Estate Tax Fact From Fiction:  New Data from IRS Shows that Only 1.6% of New York Estates (and Only 1.2% of All Estates Nationally) were Subject to Taxation in 2004 (PDF).

May 2006.  $90 million in TANF Funds Trapped in Budget Limbo.  Advocates Call Upon Governor to Adopt Legislature's Bi-Partisan Agreement on TANF Funds (HTML). Attachments: The Allocation of the New York's TANF Block Grant Funds for 2006-07 (PDF) and Flexible Fund for Family Services allocations by county (PDF).

May 2006.  Regulating the Financial Sector in New York: Have the Activities of the State Attorney General Been Good or Bad for the Industry?  (Executive Summary in HTML; Full Report in PDF) 

May 2006.  The Economic Development Benefits of Prevailing Wage (PDF). A background briefing paper reviews the academic literature on the impact of prevailing wage laws. 

May 18, 2006.  New York State's Dual Crises:  Low Graduation Rates and Rising School Taxes (PDF).  Report issued by the Public Policy and Education Fund, Inc. with the assistance of the Fiscal Policy Institute.

May 5, 2006.  Roth IRA "Conversion" Gimmick May be Used to Mask the True Cost of New Tax Cut Package Nearing Adoption by Congress (HTML).

May 4, 2006.  House GOP Tax Cuts Ignore Crucial Funding (PDF) from today's (Albany) Times Union. FPI Senior Economist Trudi Renwick comments on April 19, 2006, Times Union editorial on tax cuts being considered by Congress (PDF).

May 3, 2006.  Over $1 Billion in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Block Grant Funds Trapped in Budget Limbo. Groups Call Upon Governor to Adopt Legislature's Bi-Partisan Agreement on Use of TANF Funds (HTML). Joint Release from New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, the Fiscal Policy Institute, the Hunger Action Network of New York State and the Empire Justice Center.

April 2006.  The New York City Construction Labor Market (PDF). This labor market profile was prepared by the Fiscal Policy Institute for the NYC Employment and Training Coalition and NYC Workforce Investment Board. Among the findings: New York City construction employment, now about 250,000 workers, is likely to expand considerably over the next five years. Construction workers residing in the city are overwhelmingly male, and nearly 63 percent of construction workers are non-white. They earn a median wage of $14.90.

April 21, 2006.  COMIDA Isn't Spanish for Free Lunch (PDF). Report issued by Rochester's Metro Justice and the Initiative for Development Accountability examining performance of the IDA system in Monroe County using data submitted by the County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) for the years 2002, 2003, 2004.

April 3, 2006.  The US House of Representatives' proposed FY 2007 budget plan calls for large cuts in domestic programs while increasing the federal budget deficit (HTML). How could a budget accomplish both of those things at the same time? By calling for an additional $200 billion in federal tax cuts - most of which would go to high-income households - over the next five years.

March 31, 2006. States with Minimum Wages above the Federal level have had Faster Small Business and Retail Job Growth (PDF).  This new report from the Fiscal Policy Institute shows that the diverse set of states with minimum wages above the federal $5.15 level have had faster job growth among small businesses and in the retail trade sector than states where the lower federal minimum prevailed.  A press release announcing the new report is available in HTML and PDF formats.

March 20, 3006.  Millionaires Urge Legislature to Keep Estate Tax. Forty-six wealthy New Yorkers placed a full-page ad in the March 20, 2006, Legislative Gazette calling for New York State to keep its estate tax. In their "open letter" to the members of the State Legislature, the millionaires said that keeping the estate tax is essential to New York having a fair tax system.

March 9, 2006.  Rebuilding Ground Zero: Status of the World Trade Center Site Plan (PDF). Testimony presented by David Dyssegaard Kallick, FPI Senior Fellow and Coordinator of the Labor Community Advocacy Network to Rebuild New York (LCAN) to the New York City Council's Committee on Lower Manhattan Redevelopment.

March 2, 2006.  The Impact of Federal TANF Reauthorization in New York. This report is based on testimony presented by FPI Senior Economist Trudi Renwick to the Assembly Standing Committee on Social Services.

March 1, 2006.  Presentation by FPI Senior Economist Trudi Renwick at the annual New York State Economic and Revenue Forecasting Conference (PDF).

February 15, 2006.  Testimony presented to the NYS Legislature's Joint Budget Hearing on Economic Development and Taxes by FPI Executive Director Frank Mauro (HTML).

February 9, 2006.  New York City 2006 Budget and Economic Outlook.  Presentation by FPI Deputy Director and Chief Economist James Parrott.

February 1, 2006.  Testimony presented before the Assembly Standing Committees on Energy, Social Services and Aging joint hearing on "The Implementation and Effectiveness of New York's Low Income  Home Energy Assistance Program" (PDF)   

January 31, 2006.  Balancing New York State's 2006-07 Budget in an Economically Sensible Manner (PDF). This is an updated and revised version of the Fiscal Policy Institute's analysis of Governor George E. Pataki's Executive Budget and alternative approaches to balancing New York State's 2005-2006 budget.