December 9, 2011.
Testimony on "DREAM Act"
Legislation. FPI's David Dyssegaard Kallick was invited to deliver testimony before a
joint hearing convened by the New York State Assembly
Standing Committee on Governmental Operations and Standing Committee on Higher
Education. He testified that going to college allows immigrants - even
undocumented immigrants - to improve their employment opportunities, thereby
boosting their contribution to the economy and to tax revenues. "Their success
is also our success," Kallick noted.
November 22, 2011.
Testimony on the Living Wage
before the
New York City Council Committee on Contracts.
FPI's James A. Parrott delivered testimony detailing the following points: There
is no evidence from other cities to show that living wage ordinances are harmful
either for workers directly affected or for the broader local economies.
The Charles River Study is seriously flawed in both its labor market
and its real estate analyses, and should not be used to inform decisions on this
issue. The City should return to the question of how its considerable economic
development resources can be used to create better jobs - and help raise wages
and living standards. The result of rent negotiation should be
acceptable to tenants (often, the largest employers affected by the
living wage requirement) and realize a reasonable profit for the landlord (often
the beneficiary of subsidies or land use changes).
September 22, 2011.
NYC Labor Market Challenges Facing Older Workers. FPI's James A. Parrott
delivered testimony before the
New York City Council Committee on Aging detailing the following
points: Unemployment for older workers has continued to increase during the past
year and a half, despite the recovery.
And many older workers who are still employed have seen their hours, and
their weekly pay, reduced. For New York City workers ages 55-64,
both unemployment and under-employment are sharply higher now than before
the recession began, and higher than at the "trough" of the recession: unemployment
rose from 6.0 percent at the end of 2009 to 6.4 percent for the first half of
2011, underemployment rose
from 10.3 percent to 12.5 percent, and the employment rate declined
from 60.1 to 58.7 percent. For workers 65 and over, unemployment rose from a
very low 2.8 percent to 4.1 percent, and the employment rate fell by a
percentage point.
June 6, 2011.
Testimony at the New
York City Council Committee on Finance Hearing on the FY 2012 Executive Budget.
FPI's James A. Parrott delivered testimony detailing the following points:
Against the backdrop of an outlook for a very gradual and drawn-out recovery
during which unemployment and economic adversity remain elevated, the Mayor's
Executive Budget proposal contains several harmful budget cuts that will curtail
vital services in many critical areas. The City needs a more balanced approach
to closing large budget gaps; this approach should reduce outlays on contracting
out and find ways to enhance revenues.
March 1, 2011.
Short Term Property
Tax Relief and Long Term Tax Reform: An Omnibus Approach. Testimony of FPI's
Frank Mauro at the public hearing "Cap on Real Property Taxes" before
the Assembly Standing Committees on Ways and Means, Education, Real Property
Taxation, Local Government and Cities. A cap on real property taxes would not
effectively protect those most in need of property tax relief, and would
exacerbate inequities in our current system of public school finance. In the
short run. a property tax circuit breaker provides effective and targeted
relief. Over time, we should reform New York's state-local tax system by having
the state gradually take responsibility for the financing of a greater share of
the essential services that New York State performs through its local
governments.
February 16, 2011.
Testimony at
the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2011-2012 Executive Budget Proposal
- Human Services. Submitted
by Carolyn Boldiston, FPI's Senior Fiscal Policy Analyst. Includes: a review of
New York State's recent public assistance caseload history, a review
of New York's historical utilization of the federal Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families (TANF) block grant, a review of the impact of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of February 2009 on TANF funding and
spending in New York State, and recommendations for the 2011-2012 state fiscal year.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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 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 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 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.
October 26, 2009.
Testimony on Governor Paterson's Proposed 2009-2010 Deficit Reduction Plan.
Presented by James Parrott, Deputy Director and Chief Economist of FPI, to the
Senate Finance Committee.
October 21, 2009.
Testimony on Governor Paterson's Proposed 2009-2010 Deficit Reduction Plan.
Presented by Frank Mauro, Executive Director of FPI, and Ron Deutsch, Executive
Director of New Yorkers for Fiscal Fairness, to the Assembly Ways and Means
Committee. Mauro and Deutsch discussed why $1.8 billion of the $3 billion in
deficit reduction actions proposed by Governor Paterson for the current state
fiscal year would harm the still-fragile state economy. The Governor’s other
$1.2 billion in gap-closing recommendations together with additional actions
that will not hurt the state economy should be used to ensure that the state
ends the current fiscal year in balance. Changes in law that would affect the
state’s finances and its economy on an ongoing basis should be reviewed in a
thorough and well-informed manner as part of the Legislature’s consideration of
the Governor’s 2010-11 Executive Budget - with all options on the table,
including the budget-balancing alternatives recommended by Mauro and Deutsch in
this testimony.
June 24, 2009. Retail
Wages in New York City: Testimony before the Bronx Community Board 7.
Presented by research associate Michele Mattingly at the board's public hearing
on
the Kingsbridge Armory Project. As New York City leaves behind an economic era
characterized by a financial sector distorted by reckless speculation, it is
imperative that we rebuild the city economy on the basis of good,
family-supporting jobs that create and sustain the middle-class.
Related:
Low Wages, No Bargain, FPI's study of the
retail sector in New York, December 2008.
May 21, 2009.
Testimony before the Senate Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform.
Presented by chief economist James Parrott at the committee's public
hearing on New York State’s business tax reform. New York could have a more
rational and fairer business tax system by adopting a rule to fix problems with
the way multi-state corporate income is apportioned, by revamping its overly
generous Investment Tax Credit, and by adjusting its taxation of unincorporated
businesses.
May 7, 2009.
Outsourcing Public Services to the Private Sector: Testimony before the New York
City Council Committee on Civil Service and Labor and Committee on Contracts.
"Contracting in" offers budget savings and efficiency while promoting better
quality jobs for New Yorkers. To pursue these goals, the Council should consider
reforms to the contracting process and decision-making.
April 30, 2009. Testimony
on the The Economic Situation of New York City's Low- and Moderate-Income
Households. Presented by chief economist James Parrott to the Rent
Guidelines Board. Three points: this is the worst recession
since the Great Depression with sharply higher unemployment; inflation-adjusted
wages and incomes are falling for most New York families; and housing costs are
placing an enormous burden on New York City working families.
March 12, 2009. Exploring
progressive changes to New York State's personal income tax system:
testimony presented
by FPI executive director Frank Mauro
to the New York State Senate Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform.
March 4, 2009. Testimony
before the NYS Assembly Standing Committee on Local Governments Public Hearing
on Industrial Development Agencies, submitted by FPI executive director
Frank Mauro. There's room for improvement in six areas:
-
The usefulness of IDA hearings,
-
Reporting on costs and benefits of IDA-supported projects,
-
Ensuring that IDA benefits don't go to firms that break environmental, safety or
other state laws,
-
Coordination with all local governments affected by IDA decisions,
-
Transmission and recording of PILOT payments to the local governments on whose
behalf they are collected,
-
Penalties for IDAs that violate anti-piracy provisions.
February 4, 2009.
Testimony on
the 2008-2009 Executive Budget - Workforce Issues. Presented by
FPI executive director Frank Mauro to the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means
Committees. The
Executive Budget contains many proposals that will directly and indirectly cut
jobs, exacerbating the recession in the state economy. There are other ways to
close budget gaps - notably, an increase in high-end income taxes - that would
do much less harm to the economy.
November 13, 2008. Testimony of Frank Mauro and Ronald Deutsch before the
Assembly Ways and Means Committee hearing on the impact of the economic crisis
on the state budget. To avoid deepening the already threatening recession, the
state must not rely solely on drastic cuts in state spending to close current
and expected budget gaps. A balanced approach includes tapping the state's tax
stabilization reserve fund (put together for this very purpose), surgical cuts
in wasteful spending, and a high-end income tax surcharge like that used
successfully in 2003 to close post-9/11 gaps.
November 6, 2008.
Testimony of James
A. Parrott before the New York State Commission on State Asset Maximization.
To fulfill the commission's charge to "maximize the value and use of state
assets," the state should carefully consider in-house design and prevailing wage
standards when setting up new projects. Also, economic development subsidies
should include strict accountability standards; the state should not act as
project investor without receiving in return an ownership stake for the
taxpayers.
September 15, 2008.
Testimony of
James A. Parrott before the New York State Commission on MTA Financing.
Albany will have to make some tough choices to align the MTA's recurring
spending needs with recurring revenues. It will not be easy to do this during a
downturn, but it is imperative that the State and the City put in place a
phased-in approach that stabilizes MTA finances for the long term.
June 2, 2008.
Testimony on Proposed
Legislation Addressing Real Property Taxation Issues. Presented by FPI
Executive Director Frank Mauro to the Senate Standing Committee on Local
Government and Assembly Standing Committee on Real Property Taxation. The Middle
Class STAR rebate program is better targeted than the original STAR program in
that in takes income into consideration. However, Middle Class STAR is still not
efficient and equitable property tax relief, since it does not take the size of
a homeowner’s property tax bill into consideration and it is still based on
county and school district average of important variables. A circuit breaker
like S.1053-a/A.1575-a would address both of these shortcomings. The bill would
be improved by a broader definition of income.
May 2, 2008. Testimony
on the The Economic Situation of New York City's Low- and Moderate-Income
Households. Presented by chief economist James Parrott to the Rent
Guidelines Board. A picture of a shallow recovery, high housing cost burdens and
a shrinking middle class - plus a local economy in recession.
February 14, 2008.
Testimony on the Cost of Affordable Housing Construction in New York City.
Presented by FPI chief economist James Parrott to the Assembly Committee on
Housing. Significant fiscal costs arise from the rampant practice
in affordable housing construction of illegally misclassifying workers as
independent contractors or off the books. Also, paying prevailing wage can
actually decrease costs, by attracting more productive workers.
February 11, 2008.
Testimony on
the 2008-2009 Executive Budget - Economic Development and Taxes. Submitted by
FPI executive director Frank Mauro to the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means
Committees. Given
the many signs that we are in a recession, state leaders must be especially
careful about the way they close the state budget gap. Some gap-closing
strategies could actually exacerbate the downturn.
February 5, 2008.
Testimony on the 2008-2009 Executive Budget
- Human Services. Submitted by FPI
senior economist Trudi Renwick to the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means
Committees.
Renwick explains several important policy opportunities for New York: increase
the basic welfare grant; liberalize
the earned income disregard; finance the Earned Income Tax Credit from the
General Fund; and take child care funding out of the Flexible Fund for Family
Services (FFFS), to ensure that adequate resources go for this essential work
support. Renwick includes a series of charts and tables describing TANF spending
in New York.
January 24, 2008.
Statement of Trudi Renwick, Senior
Economist Before the Assembly Standing Committee on Higher Education
regarding the advantages of a career pathways job training program as part of a
comprehensive strengthening of New York's postsecondary education system.
December 18, 2007.
Testimony on
economic development in New York State.
Submitted by FPI's chief economist James Parrott to the New York State Division
of the Budget. New York's trillion dollar economy has the potential to be a
dynamic economy that rewards all New Yorkers, but challenges abound, including
volatility on Wall Street. And there is little to show for the billions of
dollars spent
on economic development
in 2007 by state and local governments. New York needs a new approach
that is strategic, diverse, coordinated and accountable.
December 13, 2007.
Testimony of
Frank Mauro before the NYS Division of the Budget Public Hearing on Property
Taxes. Description of the special problems faced by New York localities
with relatively weak tax bases compared to their needs.
To a large extent, state fiscal policies have caused great pressure on property
taxes in needy cities, counties and school districts, including decisions: to
reduce revenue sharing; to decrease the share of local school budgets covered by
state aid, to divide the non-federal share of Medicaid costs without considering
ability to pay, and
to allocate STAR benefits in a way that exacerbates fiscal disparities.
December 5, 2007.
Testimony of Frank Mauro before the NYS Assembly Standing Committee on Real
Property Taxation. Using data from the American Community Survey, FPI
estimates the cost, number of beneficiaries and average benefits of the
circuit breaker credit, as proposed (Galef/Little
A.1575/S.1053)
and with several
modifications.
September 28, 2007.
Testimony on
the adequacy of the public assistance grant in New York State. Presented by
FPI Senior Economist Trudi Renwick
to the Assembly Standing Committee on Social Services.
September 25, 2007.
Testimony on
New York State’s Brownfields Cleanup and Opportunity Area Programs.
Submitted by FPI Executive Director
Frank Mauro to the Senate and Assembly Committees on Environmental Conservation.
September 20, 2007.
Testimony on
paid family leave. Presented by
FPI Senior Economist Trudi Renwick
to the Senate Democratic Conference in Albany.
September 20, 2007. Testimony on paid family leave. Presented by FPI
Director of Communications Jo Brill to Senator Maziarz in Niagara Falls.
March 1, 2007.
Testimony on the 2007-08 Executive Budget.
Presented by FPI
Senior Economist Trudi Renwick to the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees.
February 28, 2007.
Testimony on the 2007-08 Executive Budget.
Presented by FPI Executive Director
Frank Mauro to the Senate Finance and Assembly Ways and Means Committees.
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)
March 9, 2006.
Rebuilding Ground Zero: Status of the World Trade Center Site Plan. 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. (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 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)
