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Author Archives: NYPIRG

Voting in New York

Posted on April 29, 2014 - 11:26 am by

The US Census published a report on voting in America last week that was the usual – the nation’s voters don’t go to the polls as often as they should and in some parts of the country, like New York, and for some age groups – mainly young voters – the turnout has been dreadful.

According to the report, about two-thirds of eligible Americans voted in the last Presidential election.  The older the age group, the more likely they were to vote.  In 2012, for example, the voting rate for the 65 years and older group was over 70 percent. (more…)

Put the Brakes on Unfair Auto Insurance Practices

Posted on April 28, 2014 - 4:04 pm by

A recent report by the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG) took a close look at how companies weigh some of the non-driving related factors when they provide price quotes to consumers.  What NYPIRG found was startling.  All else being equal, for three of the top five insurers in New York, a low wage worker with a high school degree could pay anywhere from 19%-41% more than a college educated professional for the exact same coverage.

That’s correct:  the auto insurance rates charged to a high school educated bank teller were higher than those for a banking executive with a college degree – even when they had the exact same driving records.

Is that fair?

To most people, these factors tend to say more about who you are than how you drive, which raises serious concerns about the unfair impacts of their use on some groups of drivers.   For example, according to recent Census data, African-Americans and Latinos are significantly less likely than Whites to obtain a college degree.  U.S. Department of Labor data shows similar trends in the workplace, where African-Americans and Latinos are less likely to have professional or managerial jobs. (more…)

Once Again, The Feds Have to Fix Albany

Posted on April 14, 2014 - 3:45 pm by

Once again, New Yorkers have had to hope that federal prosecutors can clean up Albany.  When Governor Cuomo unceremoniously pulled the plug on the Moreland Act Commission Investigating Public Corruption as part of a deal with legislative leaders in exchange for weak ethics reforms, even the most optimistic New Yorkers were left depressed.

As part of what is increasingly the M.O. of Albany, a weak ethics package was trotted out to provide the necessary “optics” of reform so that the governor and state lawmakers could run for re-election touting their successes in cleaning up Albany.

And so, the shutdown of the Moreland Commission as part of a weak ethics deal seemed to be the end of the latest efforts to reform Albany. (more…)

The Final Push on the Budget

Posted on March 24, 2014 - 1:57 pm by

Governor Cuomo and state lawmakers are coming down the homestretch in the budget negotiations for the fiscal year starting April 1st.  The budget negotiations have, so far, been typical in some ways and highly contentious in others.

The process has been typical in the way that virtually all decisions are being hammered out behind closed doors, with only an occasional public glimpse obtained during sham public joint conference “meetings.”

The substance of the budget has been contentious – at least in some areas.  For example, the debate over the so-called New York DREAM Act has been marred by extreme political posturing. (more…)

Sunshine Week Shines a Light on the Darkness of NYS Government

Posted on March 18, 2014 - 8:49 pm by

This week, the nation focuses on America’s commitment to government openness during “Sunshine Week.”  “Sunshine Week” makes it clear that it is important to maintain an open government, in order to ensure the proper relationship between public officials and the citizens they are pledged to serve.

The critical tool for holding policymakers accountable, as well as ensuring that the public is educated on policymaking, is the Freedom of Information Law.  The Law operates on one basic concept – that government information should be accessible to the public.  Without a strong open access law, it is virtually impossible for the public to adequately participate in, and monitor, governmental decision making. (more…)