By Robert B. Ward
Gov. David Paterson's unprecedented use of executive power demonstrated the power New York's chief executive can wield in adoption of the state budget. But keeping spending and revenues aligned through the year is another matter — and here, the governor's legal authority comes up short.
June 2010
By David J. Wright
As the Great Recession strains public resources, an idea is traveling fast in higher education — the notion that universities and colleges can fuel revitalization efforts in their communities. Universities are well-positioned to catalyze employment, housing, retail and cultural projects.
March 2010
By Courtney Burke
New York spends more than any other state on Medicaid. That's over $51 billion under Gov. Paterson's proposed 2010-2011 budget. But are we getting what we pay for? Taxpayers often fund expensive procedures, in expensive settings, for preventable diseases.
March 2010
By Kenneth R. Howey
The student dropout problem is a crisis. A second major dropout problem has not been chronicled as widely — the exodus of teachers. Unless major changes are made in the next five years, more than a million newly minted teachers will leave urban, high-poverty schools.
February 2010