News

23
Dec
2002
ALBANY—The pharmaceutical industry has outperformed other manufacturing industries in New York and can grow even more. But it will realize its potential only if New York continues investing in biotech R&D and rejects any ill-advised punitive campaigns against the industry, a new report from The Public Policy Institute argues
23
Dec
2002
Health-care consumers can use an upstate health insurer's Web site to compare the performance of different upstate hospitals in treating specific ailments or performing specific surgical procedures. The new service has been introduced by Excellus Inc
19
Dec
2002
ALBANY—The "tax gap" between New York and other states is at its smallest since the 1970s, but New Yorkers still bear a heavier tax burden than most Americans, a Public Policy Institute analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau data shows. As of fiscal 2000, combined state and local taxes in the Empire State averaged $4,578 for every resident — some 48 percent above the average for all states
18
Dec
2002
The state Senate has approved a bill to extend the state's current law governing the siting of power plants until July of 2007. Article X of the state's Public Service Law is due to expire Dec. 31. The Business Council has strongly advocated improvements to Article X that will accelerate the plant siting process and make it easier for the state to add the new generating capacity it needs
18
Dec
2002
A new poll of New York voters shows that New Yorkers by a significant margin prefer cuts in government to higher taxes, as Albany deals with the state's current fiscal challenges. More than half of New Yorkers polled (52 percent) said the state should cut services to balance the budget, a poll by the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute poll showed
17
Dec
2002
A new study offers new evidence that New York's competitiveness would improve if it cut its overall tax burden, government debt, and other costs of job creation, including workers' compensation and electricity costs
13
Dec
2002
New York State's Medicaid spending has grown almost twice as fast as aid to schools since fiscal 1988 and even faster compared to spending on higher education, a Dec. 13 fiscal analysis by The Public Policy Institute of New York State shows
10
Dec
2002
Although total government spending in New York is too high, New York ranks dead last among all states in investing in higher education, one area of spending that is critical to the state's economic future, a new fiscal analysis from The Public Policy Institute of New York State shows
06
Dec
2002
New York's public debt is the nation's second highest on a per capita basis, 88 percent above the national average - which means that more government borrowing to address New York's coming fiscal challenge would be unwise, a new fiscal analysis from The Public Policy Institute of New York State shows
03
Dec
2002
Local taxes that are 63 percent above the national average are New York's top competitive disadvantage, and history suggests that more state aid to localities won't fix the problem, a new fiscal analysis by The Public Policy Institute of New York State shows