Reports and Fact Sheets

February 2023 NY Opportunity Zones May Be Subsidizing Guns, Oil, Crypto NY may be subsidizing investments in gun mega-sellers, oil companies, and crypto mining under the Opportunity Zone (OZ) tax break, Reinvent Albany said in new report: “Guns, Oil, and Crypto.” January 2023 Gov Hochul Doubling Down on Totally Discredited Corporate Welfare An analysis of the four biggest boondoggles that Governor Hochul mentioned in the State of the State. January 2023 State Still Keeping Nine Big Secrets About Vornado/Penn Station Deal ESD and the Hochul administration continue to hide basic information about the Penn Station redevelopment project. We call on them to be fully transparent with the public and release this critical information. January 2023 TIFs: No Such Thing as Free Money Tax Increment Financing (TIF) schemes divert future tax revenue from special districts to government-backed projects intended to reduce blight or create jobs via redevelopment. We oppose TIFs because they are off-budget and put tax dollars at risk. December 2022 Skipping Out: NYS Not Making $375 Million/Year in Payments Promised to MTA By ending budget scams, Gov. Hochul can immediately restore $375 million in MTA funds from the 18-b program and PMT replacement funds. December 2022 PACB Vote Approving Penn Redevelopment Plan Completely Abnormal Analysis of Newly-FOILed Records Confirms July 2022 Penn Resolution One of Only Two of 1,017 “Applications” Voted on by the PACB NOT about Project Financing November 2022 Everyone Says They Love Workforce Development, But What, Exactly, Is It? NYS has over 500 workforce development programs but doesn’t have an actual definition of “workforce development.” This report explores the many definitions of workforce development and proposes solutions for improving it. November 2022 Ridership Down: The MTA Fiscal Cliff Is Real The MTA faces a fiscal cliff that could obliterate transit service when federal emergency COVID aid runs out and needs billions in new, recurring, state dedicated funding. October 2022 In a Healthy Democracy, Facts Matter (20 Major Studies on Business Subsidies) 20 Major Studies Showing Taxpayer Subsidies to Businesses Don’t Work October 2022 Empire State of Emergency: Overuse of Governor’s Emergency Powers Invites Abuse of Power and Corruption Recommends legislation to rein in emergency powers and restore oversight August 2022 Key Sources on Penn Station Redevelopment Plan Reinvent Albany has compiled a list of key sources on the Penn Station Redevelopment Plan. We will continue to update. July 2022 Watchdog Report Uncovers $1.2B Tax Break for Vornado in Opaque Penn Station Financing Scheme Reinvent Albany published a detailed analysis of NYS’s secretive plan to pay for Penn Station upgrades.