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Archive: 2010 Publications
For recent publications, please see
FPI's
home page.
For publications from other years, go to the
publications archive.
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December 13, 2010.
Grow Together or Pull
Further Apart? Income Concentration Trends in New York. This report
documents the pronounced concentration of income growth that has occurred in New
York State and New York City since 1980 -
the first time that state income tax data has been compiled to analyze
trends since 1980 in income growth by various segments of the state's
population. Among the findings: The richest one percent of households
increased their share of all income statewide from 10 percent in 1980 to 35
percent in 2007, while in New York City the income share going to the top one
percent rose from 12 percent to 44 percent over that span.
Release >>
Report >>
December 7, 2010.
The Growing Budget Burden of New York's Business Tax Expenditures.
This new report from FPI identifies $5.4 billion a year in state government
"back door" spending in the name of economic development and job creation. An
additional $2.8 billion a year is being drained from New York's local government
budgets
because of a variety of tax expenditures in state law. In these tough
budget times, these billions of dollars in business tax expenditures, which have
historically lacked transparency and accountability, must be examined carefully
- program by program - to determine whether the promised benefit is real, and if
so whether the expense entailed is justified.
Release
>> Report >>
December 6, 2010.
Oversight: An Examination of the
November Financial Plan.
Testimony presented by James Parrott before
the New York City Council
Committee on Finance.
November 18, 2010. Misleading NYS
GDP Data for 2009: Federal release distorts picture of NYS's economy. The
Bureau of Economic Analysis today released advance estimates that dramatically
overstate New York State's actual economic decline for 2009 - making New York
the third worst-off state - because the BEA figures are based on very partial
data and exclude any information on corporate profits. A much better indicator
of New York’s relative economic performance in 2009 is provided by BEA's own
data on total employment by state - which put New York tenth best of the 50
states.
Release >>
November 17, 2010.
Major New Report: Long Island Economy Absorbing
Immigrants with Many Gains and Few Negative Impacts.
This report shows the big overall immigrant contribution to Long Island's
economy, stressing the diversity of immigrant jobs, but also looking at whether
immigrants are displacing U.S.-born workers or lowering wages. For nearly all
Long Island residents the answer is no. More >>
October 28, 2010.
Oversight – New
York City Poverty 2010: A Look at the Impact of the Recession on Communities,
People and the Administration’s Poverty Reduction Plan. Testimony presented by James Parrott before
the New York City Council
Committee on Community Development.
October 27, 2010.
Background on the Economists Selected by the New York City Economic Development
Corporation for Its Living Wage Study. City policymakers deserve the benefit
of a rigorous study that looks at the actual costs and benefits of extending
living wage standards to subsidized development projects. This brief looks at
the track record of the lead economist, David Neumark, for the management
consulting firm selected by the New York City Economic Development Corporation
to conduct a study of the possible economic impact of wage requirements on
projects subsidized by the City. The brief examines the extensive criticism of
Neumark's past labor market analyses and calls for an external review panel of
prominent economists to provide critical feedback on the EDC living wage study.
October 22, 2010.
High unemployment
persists, but New York has not fared as badly as most states in the downturn.
A new report from the U.S. Department of Labor shows that from the start
of the national recession through September 2010, New York's 3.3 percent total
job loss ranked it 39th among all states. New Yorkers have certainly not been
spared the recession's devastating effects; however, New York was hit less hard
than most parts of the country. Still, there were 800,000 New Yorkers officially
unemployed in September, a number nearly 75 percent higher than when the
recession began in New York in the spring of 2008.
Release with state rankings >>
October 8, 2010.
Stiglitz calls for a second stimulus at FPI event. FPI presented its Frances
Perkins Working People's award to Nobel economist Joseph Stiglitz at an event in
Manhattan on October 7. In his acceptance remarks, Stiglitz made a strong case
for additional economic stimulus to put the country firmly on the road to
recovery. A good summary of Stiglitz's remarks by Kathy Brady of the
New York City Employment and Training Coalition is available in the October
8
edition of NYCETC's newsletter, the NYC Workforce Weekly.
Article >>
September 28, 2010.
Hundreds of millions at
stake for New York’s working families: Current tax debate to determine future of
key work-supporting tax credits. Low- and moderate-income New Yorkers have a
huge stake in the tax debate now going on at the national level: over $600
million annually in work-supporting tax credits. Enhancements to the Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC) and the Child Tax Credit (CTC) that were made by the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will expire at the end of 2010
unless extended by Congress. A new report from the Fiscal Policy Institute
reviews the workings of these two tax credits, how they were changed by the
Recovery Act, and why those changes should be made permanent.
Press release >> and
full report >>
September 27, 2010.
City
Poverty Rate Jumped as the Economy Slumped.
By James Parrott, FPI's deputy director and chief economist, who writes regularly for Gotham
Gazette's Economy
section.
September 21, 2010.
Federal Tax Policy at a Crossroads. This policy brief compares the
distributional impacts on New York taxpayers of President Obama's plan and an
alternative plan laid our in the Senate Republican leadership bill S.3773 - and
looks at the impact of the same two proposals on programs and services.
Conclusion? There are five reasons that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy should
be allowed to expire as scheduled, and the modifications of those tax cuts
enacted as part of the Recovery Act should be made permanent.
September 21, 2010.
True/False: Public Employees Have Too Many Benefits. In this installment of
"Wonk Wars," FPI's James Parrott discusses labor compensation with the Manhattan
Institute's Steve Malanga.
On the web >> and
on the air >>
September 20, 2010.
Statement from James Parrott on the National Bureau of Economic Research
Announcement on the Business Cycle. Most New York workers remain mired in a
high unemployment, unacceptably slow recovery, despite
today's announcement by the
NBER that the national recession bottomed out in June 2009, 15 months ago.
By the most optimistic projections, three to four years of faster job growth are
required to bring the unemployment rate back down to the pre-recession. More
forceful economic stimulus measures must be applied to prevent this Great
Recession from turning into another Great Depression.
September 17, 2010. Extension of the
TANF Emergency Contingency Fund is Essential to Bringing More Jobs and Needed
Financial Support to New York State. The very tight budget situations that
state and local governments continue to face may force them to reduce or
eliminate services for needy families. An extension of the TANF Emergency
Contingency Fund will help New York and the other states to continue their
safety net programs without ravaging other parts of their budgets. The latest in
an ongoing series of briefs and reports from FPI.
More >>
September 16, 2010.
Poverty on the Rise in
New York and Nation in 2009: Federal Assistance Lessened Recession's Impact.
The Census Bureau today released state-level data showing that the poverty rate
in New York State rose dramatically from 14.2 percent in 2008 to 15.8 percent in
2009. The number of New Yorkers in poverty jumped by 284,000 to a little over
three million. Only once since 1980 - from 1989 to 1990 - has the poverty rate
risen more than it did in 2009. The new data also show that 2009 brought a large
increase in the national poverty rate, which
jumped to 14.3 percent from 13.2 percent in 2008.
September 15, 2010.
The Great
Recession Lingers in New York City and its Neighborhoods. Economic overview
and outlook for New York City - a presentation by FPI's deputy director and
chief economist, James Parrott.
September 5, 2010. New York starting to
see job growth but not yet recovery. While New York and the nation have
begun to see some modest job growth, unemployment rates remain unacceptably high
and recovery is not yet helping most New York workers. New York is hardly
unique; from December 2007 through December 2009, the state lost 250,000 jobs, a
2.8 percent job decline. Forty states had even worse job performance over that
period.
Those with managerial/professional occupations are earning more in New York
City, while those in non-managerial/non-professional occupations are earning
less. Both groups are making less in areas outside the city.
August 30, 2010.
Looking to a National Recovery. By James Parrott, New York Times. Part of
"Room for Debate" -
How Healthy Is New York City's Economy?
August 2, 2010.
Immigrant unemployment rates up less than for
U.S.-born. Data
released by FPI shows that immigrants, who make up nearly half of the New York
City labor force, have an unemployment rate that is slightly lower than for
U.S.-born workers. First, immigration is sensitive to labor market demand, so
when there are fewer jobs, immigration slows. Second, lacking a safety net,
immigrants are more likely to work at whatever jobs they can get. U.S.-born
workers may have the resources to search longer for jobs that better match their
skill level.
More
>>
July 8, 2010.
Measuring New York City's Wage Adequacy. By Michele Mattingly, Huffington
Post.
The findings of the report
[The Self Sufficiency
Standard for New York City 2010] imply a stark future for the city if
most of its largest occupations do not pay median wages that allow an adult
employed full-time to meet basic needs, let alone to support a family. Public
policy in recent years has stressed the primacy of employment over public
support to address poverty, yet too many of New York's jobs simply do not pay
enough for workers to raise themselves and their families to a modest standard
of living.
June 30, 2010.
Testimony by David Dyssegaard Kallick before the National Commission on Fiscal
Responsibility and Reform.
Senior fellow David Dyssegaard Kallick testified at a public hearing held by the
National Commission on Fiscal
Responsibility and Reform to hear ideas from members of the public. He
testified
about the relationship between immigration and economic growth and
about the importance of federal support for state and local governments.
June 29, 2010.
The Self Sufficiency Standard for New York 2010. The
Self Sufficiency Standard defines the income that working adults in New York
need to meet their families' basic needs for housing, food, transportation,
child care, medical care and taxes. The Self-Sufficiency Standard for
2010 shows that for most workers - across the state and in New York City -
earnings well above the official Federal Poverty Level (FPL) are nevertheless
far below what is needed to meet families' basic needs.
Detailed information provided for a range of family profiles, for each county
and New York City borough. More >>
June 18, 2010.
Strike a Fairer Balance In Balancing City Budget: Trim Hedge Funds, Not
Services. An op ed by James A. Parrott, The Chief.
PDF.
June 8, 2010. Groups Call Upon Schumer and Gillibrand to Restore Medicaid
and COBRA Health Insurance Funding. This press release from coalition partners
highlights FPI's analysis of the impact on New York State and New York City of a
6-month extension of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act's increased share of state Medicaid costs.
The groups also call for extension of ARRA's assistance with COBRA
premiums.
Material distributed at press conference >>
June 7, 2010.
Mayor's Executive Budget Proposal. Testimony presented by James Parrott before
the New York City Council
Committee on Finance.
May 28, 2010.
An Overview of Job Quality and Discretionary Economic
Development Subsidies in New York City. This brief from FPI together with Good
Jobs New York and the National Employment Law Project examines the low wages
typically paid for many of the permanent jobs at city-subsidized economic
development projects such as Bronx Gateway Mall, Fresh Direct and Yankee
Stadium.
May 20, 2010.
New York City: Economic and Budget Challenges. While Wall
Street may have recovered, the average New York worker is still mired in the
Great Recession. New York like most states has severe budget problems and not
enough Federal aid; moreover, state and local government budget cuts will harm
the local economy and slow the national recovery. In this context, the Mayor's
NYC budget proposal punishes workers and the poor but does not ask the
well-off or Wall Street to share the burden. This presentation includes
commentary on the state as well as the city budget budget situations.
May 19, 2010.
Extending the TANF Emergency Contingency Fund Would Bring
More Dollars and Jobs to New York. To help needy families during the Great
Recession, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), which was signed
into law by President Obama on February 17, 2009, created a $5 billion Emergency
Contingency Fund (ECF) within the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
federal block grant program. The TANF ECF has brought $935 million in new
federal dollars to New York over the last year. With the nation continuing to
experience high unemployment rates, an extension of the ECF past its current
September 30, 2010, expiration date is essential.
Also see FPI's earlier
publications on the TANF ECF.
May 11, 2010.
Prevailing Wage for Building Service Workers in Buildings Owned or Managed by
Persons Receiving City Financial Assistance.
Testimony presented by James Parrott before the New York City Council
Committee on Finance.
May 10, 2010. Is the recession over in New York? Despite the fact that job
numbers are up, unemployment is down, and gross domestic product has increased
for three quarters - by the measures that matter, this recession has been worse
for New York workers. Wages fell more sharply in this recession than in the two
previous. Joblessness has more than doubled. At this point, 400,000 jobs are
needed to return NYC unemployment to pre-recession levels. Also see
Severe
Recession Hangs on in Much of the City in Gotham
Gazette's Economy
section.
May 6, 2010.
Potential efficiencies in City operations. A letter sent by
James Parrott to Stephen Goldsmith, the City's new deputy mayor for operations,
outlining some ripe opportunities for savings and efficiencies.
April 27, 2010.
Oversight: The feasibility of requiring a unified economic
development budget as a reporting requirement.
Testimony presented by James Parrott before the New York City Council
Committee on Economic Development.
April 19, 2010. New York Has the Ways and Means: How and Why Wall Street
Should Give Back to Main Street. Sensible options for closing the state
budget gap meet three goals: 1. To
support rather than undermine the needs of New York families. 2. To minimize the
negative impact of this year’s budget decisions on the fragile state economy. 3.
To require the New York financial industry - which bears responsibility for much
of the negative impact on the state’s economy and finances since 2007, and which
has now realized enormous profits because of the taxpayer-funded bailout - to
contribute a fair share to Main Street’s recovery.
Read the press release >> Read the
full report >>
April 15, 2010. Across the Spectrum: The Wide Range of Jobs
Immigrants Do. Immigrants are by no means all low-wage workers in the 25 largest
metropolitan areas, as this new report shows. In many metro areas, there are
more higher-skilled immigrants than there are lower-skilled. Surprisingly,
these are not the metro areas with the most economic growth; rather, they are
areas with low overall immigration, including Pittsburgh, Detroit, and St.
Louis. More
>>
April 12, 2010.
Look to Wall Street for help.
An op ed by
Frank Mauro, FPI's executive director, and
Ron Deutsch of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, Albany Times-Union.
April 7, 2010.
Establishing a Fair, Adequate and Economically
Sensible State-Local Tax System.
This policy brief from FPI reviews specific revenue raising options that would
enable New York to close its budget gap while making the overall tax system
fairer and minimizing damage to the economy.
April 2, 2010.
Testimony at
the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2010-2011 Executive Budget Proposal
- Human Services.
Presented by Carolyn Boldiston, FPI's Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst. Includes: a
review of New York’s historical utilization of the federal Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, an analysis of the impact of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of February 2009 on TANF funding and
spending in New York State, a brief review of child care subsidies in New York
State, and recommendations for the 2010-2011 state fiscal year.
(This is a revised version of testimony originally delivered on February 10,
2010.)
March 29, 2010. The New York State Lottery: A Regressive Tax. By
FPI research associate Brent Kramer, published by Tax Analysts in
State Tax Notes.
Voluntary payments to the government are generally not thought of as taxes. But
states have begun in the last 30 years to obtain significant revenue from
lottery sales. Looking at induced lottery purchases as a tax, with very little
direct or indirect benefit to the vast majority of purchasers, this analysis
confirms conclusions in other studies that it is an extremely regressive tax.
March 11, 2010, New York City.
The
Ravitch Plan. On the Brian Lehrer
Show on WNYC, James Parrott, FPI's Deputy Director and Chief Economist,
discussed
Lieutenant Governor
Richard Ravitch's plan to reform the New York State budget process and to borrow
money to help solve New York State's fiscal problems.
March 10, 2010.
Balancing the
New York State Budget in an Economically Sensible Manner. New York State
should balance its budget during the current economic downturn in ways that will
not make economic conditions worse. The budget balancing strategies of the early
1990s should be avoided, while those of 2003 and 2009 demonstrate the benefits
of more balanced approaches to budget balancing. The wisest policy choices are
those that will take the least amount of demand possible out of the state
economy; this brief contains a number of specific options.
March 10, 2010.
New
York's Unemployment Crisis. In January 2010, 852,000 New Yorkers
were unemployed, including 413,000 New York City residents. This fact sheet
includes data on New York unemployment rates and payroll job losses, including
FPI estimates of unemployment by gender, race, and ethnicity, and long-term
unemployment.
March 1, 2010. The
Impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act on New York City.
Testimony presented by James Parrott before the New York City Council General
Welfare Committee.
February 22, 2010.
Revenue-raising and cost-saving options.
The Fiscal Policy Institute worked with the other members of the Better
Choice Budget Campaign to develop a
menu of
revenue-raising and cost-saving options for consideration by the Governor and Legislature
as they work to
adopt a balanced budget for 2010-2011.
February 10, 2010. Testimony at
the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2010-2011 Executive Budget Proposal
- Human Services.
Presented by Carolyn Boldiston, FPI's Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst. (A
revised
version of this testimony was released on April 2, 2010.)
February 9, 2010. Briefing on Mayor Bloomberg's
Preliminary FY 2011 New York City Budget. Despite Wall Street's rebound,
unemployment and hardship are extremely high for most New Yorkers; at best,
recovery will be very gradual. This briefing finds that the Mayor's proposed
budget cuts and the state budget-related contingency cuts will worsen
unemployment and hardship. To mitigate the harmful impact of the budget,
increased federal fiscal aid is the highest priority, followed by progressive
income tax increases - less harmful than budget cuts.
February 3, 2010. New York
State's Economic and Fiscal Outlook for 2010-2011. The Fiscal Policy
Institute's twentieth annual budget briefing, revised.
February 1, 2010.
Testimony at
the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2010-2011 Executive Budget Proposal
- Economic Development.
Presented by James Parrott, FPI's Deputy Director and Chief Economist.
January 2010. Analyzing
the Economy of a Large, Urban County: The Case of Kings County, New York. An
article by James Parrott that shows available data (in this case, for Brooklyn -
Kings County) can be used to estimate the economic impact of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)
at the county level. Published in The Journal of County Administration,
Parrott's article begins on page 3 of the issue; see also an introduction by the
president of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce (p. 1) and an editorial touting
such research (p. 10).
January 27, 2010.
Testimony on Employee Misclassification in New York's Underground Economy.
Presented by James Parrott, FPI's Deputy Director and Chief Economist, to the
Assembly Labor Committee. Research shows that misclassification of employees as
so-called independent contractors places a significant burden on taxpayers
(including unpaid income taxes as well as avoidance of unemployment benefits and
health insurance premiums) and has the broader effect of weakening job security
and even physical safety. Over decades, government has established employment
standards and social insurance systems to protect workers and responsible
businesses from those who would cut corners. Vigorous enforcement is critically
important.
January 13, 2010.
Testimony on Employee Misclassification in New York's Underground Economy.
Presented by James Parrott, FPI's Deputy Director and Chief Economist, to the
Senate Labor Committee.
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