The document critiques New York's property tax and spending practices, arguing that current economic development strategies are ineffective. It highlights the excessive costs of education and Medicaid, as well as the need for reform in construction and labor laws to improve efficiency and competitiveness. The author, Rich Purtell, calls for serious reductions in taxes and spending to spur private sector job growth.

1. Let’s Be Honest New
York:
Shell game property tax shifting
schemes and “Here’s a bag of
cash” economic development
public risk/private gain scenarios
are NOT working. We need to get
serious about cutting taxes and
spending.

2. Where does our money go? Half
to education and Medicaid
 http://openbudget.ny.gov/overview.html

3. K-12 cost – Highest in USA
 Per US Census data in 2013:
Average per pupil spending - $10,300
New York - $19,818
We are 92% above the national
average! This does not include
construction either.

5. Construction – Really
expensive for K-12 schools
 See this report page 6, state of Texas:
http://www.texastransparency.org/Special_Features/Reports/School_
Construction/pdf/Public_School_Construction_Costs.pdf

6. Extreme costs for K-12
construction in New York:
 After the 2011 flood both Owego Elementary and
Binghamton MacArthur were rebuilt.
 Costs are over $120,000 per student for each.
 Cost is over EIGHT TIMES the average to build
elementary schools in Texas ($17,461).
 It’s not all due to labor differences.
 See this about Corruption in this market:
 http://www.slideshare.net/RichPurtell/corruption-in-
new-york-public-construction/

7. School Choice
 Some states are doing voucher programs,
but many of their strategies are corrupt.
 Public Schools in New York are good quality,
but very expensive.
 We need to strike a balance between cost
and performance. See this article I wrote in
August 2015 for the local newspaper:
 http://www.pressconnects.com/story/o
pinion/2015/08/27/guest-viewpoint-
school-choice/32483051/

8. Medicaid- Another big piece
of the pie, also high cost
 Our annual growth in cost has actually been better
than many other states.
 The damage was done around 20 years ago and
we’ve been struggling ever since.
 Medicaid and unfunded mandates to cover the
costs are the biggest forces upon our property
taxes for many years now.
 This shows the growth per year in New York not
being too bad, 2.4%. National average was 4.1%
2000-2012.
 http://www.pewtrusts.org/en/multimedia/data-
visualizations/2014/medicaid-spending-growth/

9. Medicaid spending per
enrollee, near the top
 US Average $5,790 per year overall.
 New York $8,901 per year overall (54% above average)
 US Average for individuals with disabilities: $16,643
 New York individuals with disabilities: $30,221 (82% +)
 Source: http://kff.org/medicaid/state-indicator/medicaid-
spending-per-enrollee/
 The 1199SEIU union has been brutalizing New York for years.
When will politicians and voters develop enough hutzpah to
take on this group?
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/08/08/the-union-
that-rules-news-york.html

10. Scaffold Law Reform:
 Over the years the original intent of
the scaffold law has been re-
interpreted by the courts in NY to be
an absolute liability standard.
 Contributory negligence by employees
has no bearing on awards.
 See this group:
 http://www.unshackleupstate.com/

11. Prevailing Wage Law:
 Wage standards are set for construction
projects.
 Some projects go a step further and require
a PLA, project labor agreement, which
further forces the need for organized labor.
 Let’s not do Right-to-work however, these
laws are wrong in the opposite direction:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/investor/2012/
12/14/why-milton-friedman-opposed-right-
to-work/

12. Worker Compensation
 Another way in which New York State
reinvents the wheel too much and
fights against free market competition.
 We should moved towards being an
NCCI state.
 http://www.cutcomp.com/depts.htm

13. Keep digging voters
 It’s all well and good to have property tax
relief programs like STAR and to try to cut
unfunded mandates and cap spending, but
we need to get serious about the big ticket
items in the state budget. Education,
health, and construction are three broad
categories where New York overspends and
we need to get competitive.
 Private sector jobs will come back and grow
if we reduce taxes and spending.

14. Thank you
 Prepared by:
Rich Purtell
Libertarian Party candidate
NYS Senate District 52
Cell 607-425-9730
email: purtellfornysenate@gmail.com
Web site:
http://purtellfornysenate.nationbuilder.com/