MTA making real cuts

Judy Rife of the Times Herald-Record writes – “The Metropolitan Transportation Authority moved Tuesday to eliminate more than 1,100 jobs in an ongoing struggle to overcome stubborn deficits. “This is just the beginning of a comprehensive overhaul of how the MTA does
Continue Reading →

Obama’s health plan means $4.8 billion in new taxes for New York

Geoff Earle of the New York Post writes – “President Obama’s new plan to pay for health care reform by taxing investment income would force New Yorkers to pay an additional $4.8 billion a year — the biggest hike in state history, an estimate shows. The tax woul
Continue Reading →

DiNapoli: Wall St bonuses up, sales tax collections down and budget deficit larger

The Comptroller’s office had been hard at work and recently release data that will have a direct impact on New York State’s budget and our economic outlook. Wall Street Bonuses Rose Sharply in 2009 “Wall Street bonuses paid to New York City securities industry employ
Continue Reading →

$85 ‘stealth tax’ pain

Susan Edelman of the New York Post writes – “A typical New Yorker pays more than $85 each month in taxes tacked onto bills for living expenses like gas, electricity, phone, cable TV and transportation, The Post found. Taxing big businesses and utilities — which pass
Continue Reading →

Boosting business in NYC

Raymond J. Keating a Long Island-based economist and columnist with Long Island Business News provides the following op-ed in the New York Post. “New York City is a lousy place to start up, run or invest in a small business, but city officials don’t seem to have a clue as
Continue Reading →

Democratic jobs bill advances past GOP filibuster

The Syracuse Post Standard post the following Associated Press story on the Jobs Bill. A bipartisan jobs bill cleared a GOP filibuster on Monday with critical momentum provided by the Senate’s newest Republican, Scott Brown of Massachusetts. The 62-30 tally to advance the measur
Continue Reading →

Schumer on tax cuts and jobs

Christen Gowen of the Times Union writes – “U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer visited the Capital Region on Monday, announcing a new proposed tax cut that would benefit businesses hiring workers who have been laid off for at least 60 days. Schumer told a crowd of people at X-Ray O
Continue Reading →

Obama health care plan draws mixed reviews

Keith Goldberg of the Times Herald-Record writes – “The health-care plan unveiled Monday by President Barack Obama looks a lot like the Senate plan approved last December. And like the Senate’s plan, local reaction to the president’s proposal was mixed. “
Continue Reading →

Marcellus Shale: States are doing a good job of regulating

Last week it was reported on the Dow Jones Newswires by Ian Talley that the states are doing a good job of regulating hydraulic fracturing. Steve Heare, Director of EPA’s Drinking Water Protection Division, stated that “I have no information that states aren’t doing a good job a
Continue Reading →

Business Council provides comments for DEC’s effort to revise the NOx RACT emissions standards

The Business Council provided these comments to DEC for consideration in the Department’s efforts to revise the NOx RACT emissions standards. It is essential that New York’s rule be fair and not put in-state industry at a competitive disadvantage. Specifically, we recommend that t
Continue Reading →