Commentary/Op-Ed - October 2013
Op-ed: Next mayor must build a better 311In this New York Daily News op-ed, the Center's Adam Forman writes that while New York created one of the first 311 systems, “the platform for the smartphone era is being created outside of New York.” He suggested that the next mayor should follow the lead of cities like Boston and Chicago, and enhance the 311 system by leveraging the full power of the Internet and mobile computing.
Commentary/Op-Ed - September 2013
New York Times Room for Debate: Train Workers, Create JobsIn this Room for Debate essay in the New York Times, the Center's Jonathan Bowles argues that with so many New Yorkers out of work, the next mayor will have to make job creation a top priority and take steps to ensure that more New Yorkers are prepared to succeed in the 21st-century economy. The piece was part of a segment called “Vining the NYC Primaries,” in which a handful of New Yorkers were asked to write a brief piece and make an accompanying vine about a key issue facing New York on primary day.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2013
New York Times Room for Debate: Think Beyond ManhattanIn this Room for Debate essay in the New York Times, the Center's David Giles writes that to keep up with New York’s dramatically changing economic geography—which has brought about profound changes in commuting patterns—the next mayor will have to focus his transportation efforts beyond Manhattan.
Commentary/Op-Ed - August 2013
Op-ed: Building the American workforceThe U.S. economy faces a big problem that ought to be ripe for a bipartisan solution: too many Americans can’t find jobs, and too many employers can’t find the right person to hire.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2013
Innovations in Workforce DevelopmentWith a large number of unemployed residents and a widening skills gap, New York City will need to expand and improve its workforce development system. This policy brief profiles three innovative workforce policies from other cities that could serve as models.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2013
Building the American WorkforceEmployers need more workers with middle skills qualifications, but the supply of applicants with more than a high school diploma and less than a bachelor’s degree doesn't match the demand. In a Council on Foreign Relations report, CUF senior fellow Tom Hilliard argues that policymakers can narrow this gap by overhauling the national workforce development system.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2013
Op-ed: New York would benefit by raising graduation ratesIn June 2013, The Buffalo News published an op-ed by our senior fellow Tom Hilliard about the need to increase community college graduation rates in New York.
Commentary/Op-Ed - June 2013
Making New York’s Human Capital System More AccountableGovernor Cuomo ought to sign a new bill that would give workforce development providers and community colleges across the state access to a treasure trove of information to make their programs more accountable and effective.
Commentary/Op-Ed - May 2013
8 Ways to Grow New York’s Design SectorLaunching a citywide design festival is a big first step, but there is more the city can do to harness New York’s competitive advantage in design.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2013
Foster Youth and the Workforce: Next StepsRoughly half of the young people who have aged out of NYC’s foster care system aren’t working, but this policy brief outlines a handful of achievable recommendations for putting foster youth on the path to careers and productive lives.
Commentary/Op-Ed - February 2013
Time to Revamp NYC’s Workforce Development SystemNYC’s next mayor will inherit a workforce development system in far better shape than when Mayor Bloomberg took office, but it’s now time to go beyond simply placing New Yorkers into jobs and build the skills of the local workforce.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2012
GED® change will be costly for N.Y.In July 2012, the Albany Times Union published an op-ed by our senior fellow Tom Hilliard which notes that beginning in 2014 the GED® exam will cost twice as much to take and be significantly more difficult to pass, changes that will almost certainly lead to significantly fewer New Yorkers getting their GED® credential. Already, New York is 49th out of 50 states in the GED® pass rates. In the op-ed, Tom urges New York State education officials and legislators to explore alternatives to the GED® test.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2011
NY Borough to Borough Commute? Fuhgeddaboudit!New Geography published an article by David Giles last week on the dramatic increase in commuters going to outer borough jobs. The piece argues that the city and state's biggest transit investments have been too focused on Manhattan despite the fact that a majority of new jobs over the last ten years have come from outer borough employers.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2011
Council on Foreign Relations Publishes CUF Commentary on Immigration ReformThe Council on Foreign Relations published a commentary by the Center's Jonathan Bowles about how immigration reform could boost U.S. economic performance. Published as part of an expert roundup on immigration reform, our piece argues that immigration reform will give the U.S. the ability to retain its advantages in human capital, innovation and entrepreneurship and boost the fortunes of many regions.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2010
A High Line for HarlemThis commentary, by the Center's David Giles, calls on the Bloomberg administration to back a proposal to turn the empty space under the Metro North tracks in Harlem into a vibrant, mile-long market for hundreds of local entrepreneurs. It argues that the proposed market could do wonders for a neighborhood lacking in affordable retail space and a city struggling to retain independent businesses.
Commentary/Op-Ed - July 2010
A Bad Bet for New YorkIn this Off the CUF commentary, Hugh O'Neill argues that video slot machines won't be enough to save Aqueduct Race Track. Instead, he says it's time for state officials to consider a better use for 192 acres of public land next to one of the nation's busiest airports.
Commentary/Op-Ed - March 2010
Completing Coney’s ComebackIn this Off the CUF commentary, Jasper Goldman, David Gratt and Juan Rivero conclude that it will require more than just a new amusement operator to re-establish Coney Island as a thriving outdoor entertainment destination. The piece applauds the Bloomberg administration for recent steps taken to bolster Coney Island's amusement district, but calls on city officials to take a series of relatively minor actions over the next few months to address several of the entrenched problems that have long undermined the area's appeal.
Commentary/Op-Ed - January 2010
Making the Most of ManhattanvilleIn this Off the CUF commentary, David Hochman writes that the battle over eminent domain should not be the final word on Columbia's planned expansion into West Harlem, arguing that local officials should now work to ensure that the university's new campus triggers additional economic development for New York and the community.
Commentary/Op-Ed - December 2009
Immigrant Entrepreneurism: An Engine for Economic RecoveryIn this essay for the new book What's Next for New York City's Economy, published by the Drum Major Institute, CUF's Jonathan Bowles argues that New York's economic development officials should look to immigrant entrepreneurs to provide a key spark to the city's economic recovery.
Commentary/Op-Ed - November 2009
Community Colleges as a Pathway out of PovertyIn this guest commentary to Spotlight on Poverty and Opportunity, CUF's David Jason Fischer stresses the importance of boosting community college persistence and graduation rates, and notes several promising strategies toward this goal.
