EJ McMahon | The Buffalo Herald

McMAHON: One State, Two Stories

BY E.J. McMAHON From a statewide perspective, New York’s economic performance since the end of the Great Recession hasn’t been especially outstanding, roughly equaling the U.S. averages for growth in private employment and GDP, while slightly trailing the national rate

McMahon testimony urges rejection of Excelsior Scholarship expansion

The state Legislature should reject Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposal to expand the family income cap for the Excelsior Scholarships and devote more money to expanding the state’s existing Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), according to the testimony submitted to the joint

Cuomo is AWOL on the State’s $6 billion budget deficit

BY E.J. McMAHON The Cuomo administration has admitted there is a “structural imbalance” in its massive Medicaid budget, which means the Empire State’s biggest single government program is spending beyond its means. So, what does Gov. Andrew Cuomo plan to

Excelsior scholarship is inferior to TAP, report says

New York’s Excelsior Scholarship, now offering tuition-free public college to students from families making up to $125,000 a year is “deeply flawed,” and the $119 million the state now budgets for Excelsior would be better spent on expanding the state’s

Report claims Downstate declined twice as fast as Upstate last year

BY EJ McMahon In a turnabout from recent trends, downstate New York’s population decreased twice as fast as upstate’s last year, according to the latest Census Bureau annual estimates. To see where they are going, check out our analysis of federal

McMahon applauds permanent tax cap

BY EJ MCMAHON The impending enactment of a permanent property tax levy cap in New York is a truly historic moment. Since its founding in 2005, the Empire Center has identified a broad cap on property tax levies as a