CBC's Andrew Rein joined NY1's Shannan Ferry to talk about what we're looking for in Mayor Mamdani's upcoming City preliminary budget:

630,000 with Andy Byford 630,000 is the number of riders who travel through Penn Station every day—making it the busiest transportation hub in the nation. The catch? It was designed, reportedly, for just 200,000. Revitalizing

Andy “Train Daddy” Byford is leading Penn Station’s revitalization for Amtrak. What should the station look like?What happens to MSG? Who pays—and who’s in charge? Hear Byford with CBC President Andrew Rein on What’s the Data Point?

soundcloud.com/ggcbcpodcast...

MAMDANI’S FIRST 100 DAYS: Mayor tells Albany budget gap shrunk by $5 billion, pushes wealth tax to further close it | amNewYork On “Tin Cup Day,” Mayor Mamdani told Albany lawmakers that his administration had lowered the city’s previously projected two-year budget deficit by $5 billion

"CBC’s [new] report highlights NYC already imposes highest combined corp tax rate in the nation, about 17.44%, and proposals to raise state corp taxes further could push it above 22%, nearly double New Jersey’s rate." via AMNY

www.amny.com/news/mamdani...

"We need to be competitive. That's why we should hold the line on taxes."—CBC's Andrew Rein on ABC7 NY re #TinCup yest

Risky Business No question: New York benefits from world-class human capital and a dynamic, innovative economy. Increasing corporate taxes would risk New York’s competitiveness and signal that the State is less welc...

What happens if NYS top corporate tax rate increases? NY business enviro is already challenging:

🟣10th worst state for starting small businesses
🟣3rd slowest in avg growth in small businesses
🟣2nd most regulated state in nation

Details in Risky Business: cbcny.org/research/ris...

“He has to close the budget gap, fund his programs that he's promised to people and deal with potential fed cuts" - CBC's Andrew Rein on NYC fiscal outlook, what Mamdani has on plate re budget gap & how to address budget shortfall

I spy with my little eye 👁️: CBC's 'Mayoral Budget Blueprint' positioning in Mamdani's exec order for Chief Efficiency Officers! We'll be watching this one closely.

www.nyc.gov/mayors-offic...

Testimony on Reforming New York’s State Environmental Quality Review (SEQR) Process SEQR reform is a smart choice for New Yorkers that will encourage the development of much-needed housing and infrastructure, save money, and make New York a more affordable and resilient place to live...

CBC supports Governor Hochul’s proposal to modernize SEQR.

Exempting modest housing and infrastructure projects—and setting clear review deadlines—would cut costs, shorten timelines, and remove uncertainty that stops housing from getting built.

cbcny.org/testimony-re...

Trustee Breakfast day!

Tune in live at 8.30am as we host Andy Byford, special advisor to the Amtrak Board for the Penn Station Transformation, in conversation w/CBC’s Andrew Rein:

streamy.cloud/cbcny.html

Making sense of Governor Hochul's budget proposal Reviewing the top line figures from Gov. Kathy Hochul's budget proposal with Citizens Budget Commission President Andrew Rein.

CBC's Andrew Rein appeared on The Capitol Pressroom recently to talk through Governor Hochul's FY 2027 budget.

👂Listen in!

capitolpressroom.org/2026/01/21/m...

Hochul proposes $260 billion budget — with no hike to 'tax the rich' The budget looks to offset federal funding cuts and expand child care while resisting pressures from the left to increase taxes on the state's wealthiest residents and corporations.

"Governor & Legislature should make #smartchoices — holding line on taxes, prioritizing core programs, and not adding unaffordable spending—to improve NYS’s affordability, sustain programs, and ensure NY is attractive to families & businesses."—CBC

www.crainsnewyork.com/politics-pol...

Hochul Proposes $6 Billion Spending Bump With No Tax Hikes Meanwhile, Mamdani continues to say that corporations and the wealthy should pay higher taxes.

“We have a progressive tax structure that is volatile...We are seeing the benefits now, but at some point, there will be a recession. We should be putting some of the money aside for a recession reserve.”

CBC's Andrew Rein tells The CITY re State budget: www.thecity.nyc/2026/01/20/h...

CBC President Andrew S Rein released this statement on the New York State Executive Budget for Fiscal Year 2027 on behalf of the CBC:

NYS Budget day is here, and CBC is on the ground ready to translate, fact check, and reveal impacts!  With a big structural gap and federal cuts ahead, smart choices matter—targeting aid where it’s needed most and funding it sustainably. #NYSBudget

What will we see in the Exec Budget? We expect affordability will stay front and center. Let’s hope proposed programs are affordable for the State budget, so they don’t leave the people without in a future self-inflicted crisis. #NYSBudget

In Albany for today’s NYS Executive Budget!

CBC is reviewing the numbers, stress-testing the claims, and assessing what the proposal means for taxpayers and services.

Press looking for fast analysis, data, or on-the-record comment can reach us at: mkaye@cbcny.org

Like SOTS’s before, this one provided programs w/out price tags.

With massive structural gap & looming fed cuts, New York must target aid to those in need, fund programs sustainably & shrink budget gaps.

We’ll tune in next week for the budget!

New York’s priorities matter.

$65B—95% of the 2025–2029 MTA Capital Plan—is for State of Good Repair. Fixing existing system should be priority—lest it crumble on our watch—before expansion.

Holding the line on taxes: ✅

New York’s future depends on residents and businesses staying, paying taxes, creating jobs here.

That means making smart choices to focus $ on programs that deliver results 👉 what we hope to see when Gov Hochul delivers budget next week.

Lowering auto insurance costs matters.

Reforms that reduce premiums keep💰in NYer’s pockets and strengthen State competitiveness. #SOTS2026

Affordability was the name of the game for Gov Hochul’s reelection speech. Reforming enviro review can⬇️housing costs & speed production at no cost to the State. Smart, pro-housing move.

Reflections on yesterday’s #SOTS2026 🧵

CBC President @andrewsrein.bsky.social released this statement in response to New York State of the State 2026:

FOUR) Strengthen NY’s reserves to weather future downturns. A recession isn’t an ‘if’ but a ‘when’. We are likely on our own for the next one: we need to prepare like we understand that.

THREE) Move money from lower-impact programs to critical needs. Continuing to fund sacred cows like school aid to districts with declining enrollment costs NYS billions that could be better spent elsewhere.

TWO) Make government work better. EX: NYS spends 2x the national average on education with middling results. Gov should manage State agencies & grant programs with real accountability & performance data.

ONE) Higher taxes are a competitive risk for NYS. The State has plenty of $ that it should spend better & more effectively. Taxes shouldn't be a one-way ratchet.

Here's what's on our wish list for #SOTS2026

Andrew Rein: New York Needs Smarter Spending, Not More Spending (7 min) John talks with Andrew Rein, President of the Citizens Budget Commission, about the current NYC administration's task to bridge a multi-billion dollar budget gap. Learn more about your ad choices. Vi...

What does “smarter spending” mean for New York? CBC’s
Andrew Rein joined WABC to talk budget priorities, efficiency & why smart choices matter more than bigger price tags: wabcradio.com/episode/andr...

Gov. Hochul’s budget must make smart choices Winston Churchill famously warned, “never let a good crisis go to waste.” New Yorkers will be better off if Gov. Hochul and legislative leaders make smart choices to prevent a crisis in the first p…

“State leaders will be tempted to boost spending that garners good will today but generates bad consequences tomorrow.”

CBC's Andrew Rein makes the case for smart—but difficult—choices ahead of Albany’s budget season in the Daily News

www.nydailynews.com/2026/01/06/g...