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August 6, 2008. Latest IRS
Data Reveal Fundamental Mismatch Between New York's Income Distribution and Its
Tax System.
July 22, 2008.
Increase in minimum
wage doesn't affect New Yorkers: Nearly 300,000 could be helped by state
legislation. Although the federal minimum wage is set to increase on July
24, New York needs state legislation to move the purchasing power of the minimum
wage closer to historic levels - and to a level that can keep a family of three
out of poverty. By increasing the minimum wage, New York would improve the
lot of workers without disrupting the labor market.
Press release,
full report.
June 11, 2008.
Thirty
Percent of New Yorkers in Working Families Can’t Cover Basic Needs with Their
Wages: Work Supports Can Make a Difference, But More Must Be Done. This
report analyzes the effectiveness of "work support programs" (such as food
stamps, Child Health Plus and the Earned Income Tax Credit) in bridging the
hardship gap experienced by 5.7 million New Yorkers - that is, the gap between
family wages and a basic family budget standard.
Press
release, full
report.
May 15, 2008.
Unions Make a Big Difference for Low-Wage Workers. A new report from the
Center for Economic and Policy Research
analyzes Current Population Survey data from the Census Bureau and finds that
workers represented by a union have higher wages, especially at the low end of
the scale. Press release,
report.
"Too often, people think there’s not much we can do to reverse polarization
in our economy. Here’s clear evidence that unionization helps: it raises wages
for all workers, and it raises them especially among lower-wage workers."
- David Dyssegaard Kallick, FPI Senior Fellow
"Today's release of a report by CEPR is the latest evidence of how unions are
lifting low-wage workers out of poverty and into the middle class. In just the
last month, hundreds of security officers in our nation’s capital won a 30
percent wage hike and mall cleaners won even higher raises through their first
ever union contracts. These same contracts provide crucial health benefits to
workers who earn too much to qualify for public health programs but not enough
to afford it themselves."
- Mike Fishman, President, Local 32BJ
May 6, 2008.
New Report: Fed Directive Threatens to Cut Funds for New York
Children’s Health Coverage. A report from the Center for Children and Families
at Georgetown University shows that the Bush administration bypassed Congress to
issue a directive that will cut children's health insurance funding in New York
- at a time when residents and taxpayers can ill afford it. Report co-released
by FPI, New York Children's Action Network and
Medicaid Matters New York.
April 15, 2008.
City Could
Raise Revenues and Level Playing Field for Business. FPI examines the
business tax treatment of "carried interest" earned by private equity fund and
hedge fund managers, and finds that closing the carried interest loophole could
raise $160-$225 million in new revenue for New York City - while leveling the
playing field for New York businesses.
Press release,
full report.
April 9, 2008. Gap
Between New York’s Wealthy and Poor Is Still the Widest in the Nation. New York has the dubious
distinction of having the widest income gap between the rich and the poor of all
50 states, according to this report released by FPI in conjunction with a
national study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic
Policy Institute. The report also shows that inequality in New York City is even
more extreme than in the state as a whole.
Press release,
full report. CBPP/EPI’s full
report, press release and state fact sheets are available at
www.cbpp.org.
March 31, 2008.
Honoring Dr. King’s
Commitment to Unions: 40th Anniversary of Assassination in Memphis while
Supporting Strike. To commemorate Dr. King’s commitment to unionization, FPI
and the Center for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) are releasing new data about
unionization among blacks in the nation and in New York State.
Press release and
data tables (unionization
rates
and union membership by race, 50 states).
March 27, 2008.
State Budget Experts
Present Ideas on the State Budget.
March 26, 2008.
Over 100
Organizations Call Upon Leaders to Listen to the Public and Support the
Millionaires’ Tax. FPI is a member of the
Better Choice Budget Campaign.
Additional materials from the press conference:
Op Ed on
Better Choices by Ron Deutsch;
Siena poll showing overwhelming public support for millionaires' tax
(question 23); Fact
Sheet from New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness laying out short and long term
solutions to burgeoning property taxes. Also, the new
Tough Times radio
ad from New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness -
blogged by Liz Benjamin.
February 20, 2008.
President’s
budget reflects wrong priorities for New York. FPI's release showing the
detailed impact of President Bush’s $1.7 billion cut to New York for 2008-09.
December 5, 2007.
More and More
Construction Work Underground in New York City. Workers, taxpayers and
honest employers pay the price - $489 million in 2005 and are likely to reach
$557 million in 2008 - as construction employment practices deteriorate in New
York City. FPI's report
Building
Up New York, Tearing Down Job Quality looks at the
50,000 construction workers (one in four) employed
off the books or as so-called independent contractors - at substantial cost to
themselves and to taxpayers in general.
Press release and
full
report.
November 26, 2007. Working for a
Better Life: A Profile of Immigrants in the New York State Economy.
What
role do immigrants play in the New York State economy?
New results from FPI show that in 2006, they added $229 billion in economic
activity - representing fully 22.4 percent of the state's gross domestic
product. This
major new report also examines what countries immigrants come
from, where they work and how well they are doing. The report includes detailed
analysis of the role of immigrant workers and families in three distinct
regional economies: New York City, the downstate suburbs, and upstate New York.
September 1, 2007. The State of Working
New York: Modest Improvements in Wages, but Troubling Long-Term Trends.
This sixth edition
of FPI's biennial snapshot of the state economy finds a modest increase in wages
against a backdrop of worrisome trends.
For example: workers aren't seeing wage increases commensurate with their
productivity; New Yorkers living in upstate cities are twice as likely to be
poor as people nationwide; and the gap between rich and poor (and between the
rich and the middle) continues to grow.
August 28, 2007. Statement
from Frank Mauro on the New Poverty Data Released Today by the United States
Census Bureau. Worrisome trends: New York continues to have
the highest poverty rate of all of the northeastern and northern industrial
states. The poverty rates in New York’s major upstate cities are incredibly
high. Median household income is flat.
July 17, 2007.
Community,
Religious, Service Organizations: Congress Should Stand With New York Families,
Not Bush.
FPI joins more than 30
children’s, hunger,
religious, social service and other advocacy organizations in calling on the
state's representatives to resist pressure from the administration to cut
funding for education, child care, worker training and similar programs. More
details about why
the modest increases under consideration in
Congress cannot be characterized as fiscally irresponsible are in
FPI's new report,
The Fight over
Federal Appropriations: Impact on New York State.
July 11, 2007.
Groups
Call for Reform of Business Subsidy Programs. FPI teamed up with New Yorkers
for Fiscal Fairness, Environmental Advocates, NYPIRG and
the Sierra Club to call attention to the taxpayer funds being poured into
Empire Zones, the Brownfield Cleanup Program, and industrial development
agencies - business subsidy programs that lack basic accountability measures and
anti-sprawl provisions.
July 6, 2007.
New York’s
Child Health Plus Expansion Jeopardized by Medicare Advantage Overpayments.
A new
report from FPI and Citizen Action New York finds that in 2007, there were
$700 Million in overpayments for New York alone - and NY beneficiaries paid $35
million in extra premiums. FPI and CANY point out that these funds would be
better used to finance Governor Spitzer’s plan to cover all uninsured children.
Read the
report.
June 14, 2007.
New York needs a
Statewide Commission on Economic Security and Poverty.
FPI joined the
New York State
Community Action Association (NYSCAA) and New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness in
calling on Governor Spitzer and the New York State Legislature to establish a
commission on economic security to advise policymakers on how to help low income
families get ahead. Over 100 organizations from around the state joined in the
request.
June 7, 2007.
Statewide
Coalition Joins Assemblyman Brodsky to Call for an Immediate Moratorium on the
Empire Zone Program.
At a press conference focused on reforms of
the Empire Zone program, FPI executive director Frank Mauro spoke about the
differential tax treatment that is fostered by the program as currently
structured.
May 16, 2007. Religious and civic
leaders pledge to try the "Food Stamp Diet" - and eat on
$3.50 a day - and FPI releases a new report,
Stretched Too Thin: Food Stamp Benefits in New
York State.
Among dozens of challenge takers: Bishop
Howard J. Hubbard of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany,
Rev. Paul D. Rees-Rohrbacher of St. John's Lutheran Church in Albany, Ed
Bloch of the Interfaith Alliance of New York State, Lynda Schuyler of
Food Pantries for the Capital District and Linda Bopp of the
Nutrition Consortium of New York State and FPI senior economist Trudi Renwick. Bishop Hubbard's remarks available
here.
Bishop
Howard J. Hubbard of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. In background:
Rev. Paul D. Rees-Rohrbacher of St. John's Lutheran Church in Albany,
FPI senior economist Trudi Renwick.
May 10, 2007. Food
Stamp Challenge - LIVE ON A FOOD STAMP BUDGET FOR A DAY. As Congress
prepares to reauthorize the Farm Bill that includes the Food Stamp program,
America's first line of defense against hunger and food insecurity, walk in the
shoes of the less fortunate. Try the "Food Stamp Diet" and pledge to live on the
food stamp budget ($1.16 per person per meal) for a day.
Click here to download
the pledge and background information.
May 3, 2007. Pre-K
Investment Yields Bonuses for Children, Families, Communities and State and
Federal Government. A new study from the Economic Policy Institute finds
that pre-K pays for itself not once, not twice, but 12 times over.
April 15, 2007. Affordable Housing
Construction Tainted By Sub-Standard Jobs; Think Tank Finds Huge Underground
Economy, Rampant Employment Abuse and Tax Non-Compliance.
March 6, 2007.
Cutting Upstate
Adrift Doesn't Serve It Well.
January 22, 2007.
New York Business and
Workers Thriving with Higher Minimum Wage.
November 20, 2006.
Fiscal Policy Institute Proposes Economic Agenda for One New York, Calling for
Policies to Promote Shared Prosperity.
October 17, 2006.
Fiscal Policy Institute Releases New Report Showing Role of Food Stamps in
Boosting the City Economy.
September 27, 2006. New York
Makes Real Progress on Health Care Coverage: Significant Decrease in the Number
of Uninsured, but Fiscal and Economic Burdens Must Be Addressed.
September 2, 2006. New York’s recovery uneven
with wages yet to rise while worker productivity climbs: Economic and fiscal
pressures restrain rebound for most of Upstate NY.
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.
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.
March 31, 2006. States with Minimum Wages above
the Federal level have had Faster Small Business and Retail Job Growth.
March 20, 3006.
Millionaires Urge
Legislature to Keep Estate Tax.
January 26, 2006. New Studies Find Income
Inequality in New York Worst of Any State ... and Getting Worse Rather Than
Better.
September 15, 2005. New
National Report Offers Sobering Look at Trends in New York's Early Childhood
Education Workforce.
(PDF)
June 15, 2005.
Industrial Development Agencies Law Due to Sunset on June 30, 2005.
Groups Call Upon Legislature and Governor to Make Real Changes That Will
Make The Program More Accountable, Transparent and Less Corrupt.
May 18, 2005.
Hotel conversion wave cuts
deeply into hotel jobs despite strong tourism growth.
March 23, 2005.
One Million Elderly New Yorkers
Rely on Social Security for At Least Half Their Income
October 19, 2004. Early Investment in Kids = Huge Payoff to Taxpayers
September 22, 2004. Large, Profitable Corporations Not Paying Their Fair Share.
(PDF)
September 22, 2004. Diverse
Organizations Join Together to Tell Governor that his Vetoes Will Hurt,
and
Urge the Legislature to Override the Vetoes and Restore the Budget they
Have Already Passed. (MSWord Document)
September 6, 2004. Recovery Yet to Arrive for Many New
Yorkers and Their Families.
In HTML without tables and graphs.
Full version in PDF with all tables and graphs.
April 23, 2002.
New Studies Find Income Inequality in New York Worst of Any State ... and Getting Worse
Rather Than Better.
January 23, 2002.
Groups Propose More Balanced and Economically Sensible Approach
to Balancing State Budget; Call on Federal Government to Address Revenue Aspects of
Governor Pataki's $54 Billion Plan
September 25, 2001.
Despite good economic times of the last
several years, 2.5 million New Yorkers continue to live in poverty.
Labor Day 2001.
The Decade of Boom: A Bust for
Most New York Workers and Their Families. FPI releases The State of Working
New York: Taking Stock After a Decade of Growth.
March 1, 2001.
New York's income tax
system among the best for low-income working families in 2000.
February 27, 2001.
New York State Leaves Millions of Dollars Unspent for
Anti-Poverty Efforts for State's Poor Families.
February 7, 2001. Minimum wage hike would boost workers left behind by the
economic expansion.
September 27, 2000.
Social Security, America's Most Important Safety Net Program, Protects
253,000 New Yorkers Under Age 40.
September 2, 2000. FPI's Labor Day 2000 Report: New
York's Working Families - Still
Waiting for Prosperity.
June 2, 2000. New York State receives $3.9 billion less per year from the federal government in key
budget areas than it did in 1980 while military spending grew by $10.7 billion.
January 18, 2000.
National and State Reports Show Income Inequality in New York Worst of Any State: Most
New Yorkers Not Sharing in Current Boom Times.
December 2, 1999.
New Yorkers Deserve a Fair Deal from State Government:
Fair Budget Campaign issues third annual "People's Budget."
September 30, 1999.
New York's Poverty Rate Remains High While the National Poverty
Rate Continues to Fall.
September 1999.
Why the Federal and State Governments Should Both Increase and
Index Their Minimum Wages.
September 6, 1999.
PROSPERITY BYPASSES MOST NEW YORKERS: New Yorkers' Wages Fall,
Upstate Economy Falters and Ranks of Working Poor Rise in 1990s.
May 25, 1999.
Taxpayers Deserve a Fair Shake From Businesses That Receive
Government Subsidies.
April 8, 1999.
Social Security Keeps More Than 800,000 Elderly New Yorkers Out
of Poverty; Over 500,000 are Women.
March 8, 1999. Report
Shows That More Than One Million New Yorkers Are Poor Despite Work.
December 8, 1998.
Practical Action is
Necessary to Ensure that People Doing Necessary Jobs Receive a Living
Wage.
September 6, 1998.
Labor Day 1998
Brings Good Information, but Bad News for New York Workers.
May 18, 1998.
1996 and '97 Minimum Wage Hikes Boosted Earnings Without Job
Loss: Low-income Families Reap Benefits as Intended. |
