New York City is losing an estimated $173 million in tax revenue due to lax oversight of changes in property ownership from tax exempt entities to for-profit institutions and individuals, according to a report entitled New York City Uncollected Millions, issued by District Council 37 ASCME AFL-CIO. The report states that many property exemptions are issued in error. (more…)
The Dream Act – Making It Work Without Breaking The Budget
The New York Dream Act can be a strengthening measure for New York’s future—with some major modifications. The key is to eliminate those provisions that result in greater benefits for the children of illegal aliens than tax-paying U.S. citizens while not losing sight of the fact that productive members of society will be contributors on a skill level and as generators of tax revenue for this country over the longer term. (more…)
The Case for Biometrics in Reducing Fraud
One of the worst things New York City could do, financially speaking, is to eliminate the requirement for electronic fingerprinting for people receiving food stamps and other benefits from the U.S. government. In fact, the use of electronic fingerprinting and other forms of biometrics should be expanded throughout the country to prevent literally billions of taxpayer dollars from being wasted through improper payments and outright fraud committed by recipients collecting under multiple identities and other creative methods. (more…)
Election Fraud in New York State — Can Things Get Any Worse?
The ultimate degradation of any political system is election fraud and New Yorkers should be horrified and concerned by developments that unfolded in Troy, New York last week regarding some politicians’ involvement in this criminal activity. (more…)
Billions of Dollars Wasted on Wartime Contracts
A report issued earlier this year by the independent bipartisan Commission on Wartime Contracting (CWC) has broad implications both inside and outside America’s borders regarding waste and fraud in the government contract award process. (more…)
Overtime Abuse at the MTA Persists Costing Taxpayers Millions
It appears that not much has changed at the MTA in regard to overtime abuse and mismanagement, at least in the case of the Signal Construction Unit at the Metro North Hudson and Harlem line, according to a forensic audit conducted by New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli and released earlier this month. (more…)
The $450 Million Price Tag for Riker’s Island Project – Is it Criminal?
Construction costs for new housing in New York City remain the highest in the nation–and that includes inmate housing on Riker’s Island which is paid for with taxpayer dollars.
The estimated cost of a 1,500-bed detention center on Riker’s Island, as stated in the Request for Proposal, is $450 million. This translates into $300,000 per bed, substantially higher than other areas of the country. In South Carolina, for instance, a new 1,500 bed prison facility would cost approximately $73,000 per bed for a total cost $109.5 million if constructed this fiscal year, according to Sharon E. Scott, Manager for Architectural/Engineering Services at the Department of Corrections in South Carolina. (more…)
Taxpayers As Captive Shareholders of America
Every American taxpayer is a captive shareholder in the United States of America with nowhere to run, financially speaking, to escape decades of flawed policies, mismanagement of our taxpayer dollars and questionable ethics in many facets of society, including the government sector. If we were shareholders in a publicly-traded company and disapproved of management’s handling of the business, we would either sell our shares or become activists to bring about change for the better. It appears that the latter is the only option open to those of us who care deeply about America. (more…)
NYS Audits of MTA Reveal Wasteful and Costly Practices
MTA audits conducted by the State of New York Comptroller’s office in 2010 indicate that lack of management oversight, ill-conceived policies, sloppy record-keeping and rigid union demands at the MTA Bus Company and New York City Transit are at the core of the MTA’s budget woes. Employee layoffs and service cuts should be a last resort in restoring profitability to the MTA. (more…)
Yucca Mountain Controversy Costing Taxpayers Billions
Lawsuits brought against the Department of Energy (DOE) by nuclear power companies seeking financial compensation for storage costs caused by government delays in accepting their highly radioactive spent fuel for disposal has already cost taxpayers $1.3 billion—and that’s only for the federal government’s current liability for settlements, final judgments and judgments under appeal. The DOE estimates that potential liabilities for these delays will cost $11 billion through the year 2056. (more…)
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