Latest news with #NewYorkStateThruwayAuthority
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump never promised mass federal layoffs, and they won't fulfill his agenda, either
Leading up to the November election, the one issue voters cared about most was the cost of living. For Republican voters, immigration was a close second. Concerns about government inefficiency did not even make the list. Months into the new administration, however, one of its top priorities is improving government efficiency, and its basic approach is to reduce the size of government through mass layoffs. The assumption seems to be that the government can operate just as efficiently with fewer employees. But what if that assumption is wrong? What if our government is inefficient not because it has too many employees, but has too many employees because it is so inefficient? All of us interact with the government at different levels, and all of us know the feeling of being caught in a maze of dead ends. Years ago, my company tried to purchase one-tenth of an acre of land from the New York State Thruway Authority to put up a sign. The parcel was completely landlocked, and the authority no longer needed it. When we asked the authority how long it would take to buy the land, they said five years, which we found hard to imagine. It took over six. From start to finish, we found the process unbelievably frustrating. But we didn't come away wishing the authority had fewer employees. We came away angry that the state legislature, which established the authority and sets rules for its operation, takes no interest in how it actually works. For the federal government, Congress sets the rules. Congress may include specific rules for the executive branch to follow in carrying out its legislation, or it may delegate large areas of rule-making to the agencies themselves. Either way, the number and complexity of agency rules are key factors in determining how many people government agencies employ and whether they can efficiently deliver results. Moreover, new regulations are often layered on top of old ones without any thought of how they will work together. Another factor in making government work is the strength or weakness of its information systems. In 'Recoding America,' Jennifer Pahlka examines why high-minded policies so often fail to deliver on their goals. Sometimes, bad results are front-page news, such as the crash of when people tried to enroll in health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. More often, however, government systems deliver results in ways that are slow, confusing and frustrating, both for employees providing services and for people trying to use them. Part of the problem, again, is 'layers of policy, regulation, procedure and process that have accrued over decades,' making any technology hard to use. But Pahlka found overlaps in technology as well, with some systems dating back to the 1980s. Comparing new technologies to layers of paint, she writes that each new addition 'depends on everything that came before it, so each successive layer is constrained by the limitations of the earlier technologies.' Over time, the layers become so complex and brittle that the paint finally cracks. For people offering tech support to the federal government, overhauling this patchwork of systems would be a good place to start. After decades of deferred maintenance, however, fixing it will not save money in the short term. Improvements will be costly, time-consuming, and will require hanging on to the few employees who still know how everything works, rather than offering blanket early retirement incentives and imposing mass layoffs. A serious effort to make government work better would begin with these two steps: peeling back layers of complex regulations and updating the technologies needed to deliver better results. Cutting jobs without taking these steps first won't create efficiencies. Instead, it will leave fewer people in place to do the same amount of work. Furthermore, sudden cuts to ongoing programs and capital projects create their own type of waste by disrupting supply chains, investment decisions and hiring commitments. Devoting so much energy to layoffs and funding cuts also takes attention away from the issues that helped decide the 2024 election in the first place. On immigration, the administration can take credit for the large drop in illegal crossings at the southern border. But on other issues, including employment-based immigration and the fate of more than 11 million people already living illegally in the U.S., public opinion is far more divided, and these problems cannot be fixed by executive orders alone because responsibility for immigration laws rests with Congress, not the executive branch. Relying solely on executive orders will leave the administration liable to claims that it is both overreaching its authority and, in a grim sort of protection scheme, shielding Republican members of Congress from voting on difficult issues. The prospects for curbing inflation are no better. Tariffs, tax cuts, reduced immigrant labor and pressures on the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates low all work against the promise to keep inflation in check. Recognizing the trade-offs, a frustrated President Trump said in March that he 'couldn't care less' about higher car prices. Voters who were concerned about inflation last November may not agree. Howard Konar is co-owner of a family real estate development company in Rochester, New York and author of 'Common Ground, An Alternative to Partisan Politics.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Hill
Trump never promised mass federal layoffs, and they won't fulfill his agenda, either
Leading up to the November election, the one issue voters cared about most was the cost of living. For Republican voters, immigration was a close second. Concerns about government inefficiency did not even make the list. Months into the new administration, however, one of its top priorities is improving government efficiency, and its basic approach is to reduce the size of government through mass layoffs. The assumption seems to be that the government can operate just as efficiently with fewer employees. But what if that assumption is wrong? What if our government is inefficient not because it has too many employees, but has too many employees because it is so inefficient? All of us interact with the government at different levels, and all of us know the feeling of being caught in a maze of dead ends. Years ago, my company tried to purchase one-tenth of an acre of land from the New York State Thruway Authority to put up a sign. The parcel was completely landlocked, and the authority no longer needed it. When we asked the authority how long it would take to buy the land, they said five years, which we found hard to imagine. It took over six. From start to finish, we found the process unbelievably frustrating. But we didn't come away wishing the authority had fewer employees. We came away angry that the state legislature, which established the authority and sets rules for its operation, takes no interest in how it actually works. For the federal government, Congress sets the rules. Congress may include specific rules for the executive branch to follow in carrying out its legislation, or it may delegate large areas of rule-making to the agencies themselves. Either way, the number and complexity of agency rules are key factors in determining how many people government agencies employ and whether they can efficiently deliver results. Moreover, new regulations are often layered on top of old ones without any thought of how they will work together. Another factor in making government work is the strength or weakness of its information systems. In 'Recoding America,' Jennifer Pahlka examines why high-minded policies so often fail to deliver on their goals. Sometimes, bad results are front-page news, such as the crash of when people tried to enroll in health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. More often, however, government systems deliver results in ways that are slow, confusing and frustrating, both for employees providing services and for people trying to use them. Part of the problem, again, is 'layers of policy, regulation, procedure and process that have accrued over decades,' making any technology hard to use. But Pahlka found overlaps in technology as well, with some systems dating back to the 1980s. Comparing new technologies to layers of paint, she writes that each new addition 'depends on everything that came before it, so each successive layer is constrained by the limitations of the earlier technologies.' Over time, the layers become so complex and brittle that the paint finally cracks. For people offering tech support to the federal government, overhauling this patchwork of systems would be a good place to start. After decades of deferred maintenance, however, fixing it will not save money in the short term. Improvements will be costly, time-consuming, and will require hanging on to the few employees who still know how everything works, rather than offering blanket early retirement incentives and imposing mass layoffs. A serious effort to make government work better would begin with these two steps: peeling back layers of complex regulations and updating the technologies needed to deliver better results. Cutting jobs without taking these steps first won't create efficiencies. Instead, it will leave fewer people in place to do the same amount of work. Furthermore, sudden cuts to ongoing programs and capital projects create their own type of waste by disrupting supply chains, investment decisions and hiring commitments. Devoting so much energy to layoffs and funding cuts also takes attention away from the issues that helped decide the 2024 election in the first place. On immigration, the administration can take credit for the large drop in illegal crossings at the southern border. But on other issues, including employment-based immigration and the fate of more than 11 million people already living illegally in the U.S., public opinion is far more divided, and these problems cannot be fixed by executive orders alone because responsibility for immigration laws rests with Congress, not the executive branch. Relying solely on executive orders will leave the administration liable to claims that it is both overreaching its authority and, in a grim sort of protection scheme, shielding Republican members of Congress from voting on difficult issues. The prospects for curbing inflation are no better. Tariffs, tax cuts, reduced immigrant labor and pressures on the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates low all work against the promise to keep inflation in check. Recognizing the trade-offs, a frustrated President Trump said in March that he 'couldn't care less' about higher car prices. Voters who were concerned about inflation last November may not agree. Howard Konar is co-owner of a family real estate development company in Rochester, New York and author of 'Common Ground, An Alternative to Partisan Politics.'
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Thruway authority hires firm for study of Grand Island bridges
ALBANY — The New York State Thruway Authority has selected a Buffalo-based engineering firm to lead a $1.6 million federally funded study of the four Grand Island bridges and the I-190 corridor. During a meeting on Tuesday, the Thruway Authority's board of directors unanimously agreed to hire WSP USA, Inc., formerly Parsons Brinckherhoff, to conduct a planning and environmental linkages study. The assessment will include, 'an analysis of the bridges against the regional transportation network's current and future needs, an investigation of feasible project alternatives and an examination of social, economic and environmental conditions.' In addition, the study will involve a Life Cycle Cost Analysis and result in the development of a forecast for future toll revenue. The study will be conducted under a two-year contract that includes an option for a third year and will be performed in cooperation with the Greater Buffalo Regional Transportation Council, a metropolitan planning organization covering Erie and Niagara counties. The finished product is expected to help guide future maintenance, rehabilitation and potential reconstruction activities involving the bridges and the thruway corridor. The cost of the study will be covered under a planning grant awarded to the Thruway Authority last year under the Bridge Investment Program, which is funded through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure and Jobs Law. In an announcement on the awarding of the grant, Thruway Authority Executive Director Frank G. Hoare noted that the original Grand Island bridges were built in the 1930s and have become 'increasingly expensive to maintain due to both their age and structural complexity.' He said at the time that the funding would allow the authority to 'enhance the safety and improve the efficiency and reliability of the bridges for all who travel over them for generations to come.' The Grand Island Bridges serve more than 47.5 million vehicles annually and are part of a commercial corridor that links an estimated $23.7 billion in US-Canada freight trade. They are also the only connection points between the 21,000 residents of Grand Island and the mainland.
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Niagara Falls to shine orange for Work Zone Awareness Week
Niagara Falls and 12 other state landmarks will be illuminated orange tonight for 'Go Orange Day' and to commemorate National Work Zone Awareness Week. 'Safety for all New Yorkers is my top priority, especially those who have dedicated their careers to ensuring that our roadways are well maintained and safe for motorists,' Gov. Kathy Hochul said. 'This year, I encourage all New Yorkers to do their part by reducing speed, eliminating distractions and staying vigilant in work zones so that our hard-working and dedicated roadside workers are safe.' On Monday, Hochul highlighted April 21-25 as National Work Zone Awareness Week. Throughout the week, the New York State Thruway Authority and State Department of Transportation will be hosting awareness events, lighting digital highway signs with safety messages and sharing important safety reminders on social media platforms. it continues Hochul's commitment to traffic safety, from launching the public awareness campaign, 'Slow Down, Move Over' and signing a bill to expand the 'Move Over' law in 2023. Hochul has proposed making the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement pilot program permanent and increasing penalties for repeat violators in her Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget, in addition to expanding the program to include Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Bridges and Tunnels and New York State Bridge Authority properties. Additionally, the Governor has proposed enhancing penalties for assaults against transportation workers, extending protections similar to those provided to many MTA and retail workers. These actions will improve safety for both highway workers and drivers. New York State Department of Transportation Commissioner Marie Therese Dominguez said, 'The lighting of state landmarks as part of 'Go Orange Day' is a fitting tribute to the highway workers across New York who work every day in dangerous conditions to make our roads and bridges safe for all New Yorkers. I thank Governor Hochul for her ongoing commitment to protect our state highway workers by supporting the work zone speed camera program and encouraging all motorists to exercise extreme caution in work zones across New York state.' Landmarks to be lit include: • Niagara Falls • 1WTC • Governor Mario M. Cuomo Bridge • Kosciuszko Bridge • The H. Carl McCall SUNY Building • Alfred E. Smith State Office Building • Empire State Plaza • State Fairgrounds – Main Gate & Expo Center • The 'Franklin D. Roosevelt' Mid-Hudson Bridge • Albany International Airport Gateway • MTA LIRR - East End Gateway at Penn Station • Fairport Lift Bridge over the Erie Canal • Moynihan Train Hall
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
NYS pushes to make speed enforcement cameras permanent
SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — It's National Work Zone Awareness Week, and New York State is reminding drivers to slow down! 'We want drivers to remember the choices they make behind the wheel can have deadly consequences,' said Major Andre Ray, Troop T Commander. The NYS Thruway Authority is reminding people to stay alert, slow down, and keep their eyes on the road. 'The message this week is to make the public more aware of the dangers that are on our highways, the dangers that our workers face every single day,' said Frank Hoare, executive director of the New York State Thruway Authority. Last year alone, there were more than 475 crashes on the thruway and work zones. As a result, three people died and over 165 injuries were reported. 'Last November, we lost one of our own, Stephen Ebling, our union brother who was killed while working on I-90,' said Sean Kennedy, president of CSEA Thruway Local 058. Governor Hochul also said she wants to make the Automated Work Zone Speed Enforcement Program permanent. 'The program works. People slow down when they know there's photo enforcement in the work zone,' said Marie Therese Dominguez, commissioner of the New York State Department of Transportation. The pilot program was implemented two years ago. Since it started, more than 425,000 notices of liability have been issued statewide. 'This is not a money grab. This is a safety program. Every dollar collected goes back to the safety of our highway maintenance workers,' said Dominguez. 'We've seen drivers slow down throughout the state. However, we've had 175,000 violations issued in the last two years. Shows there's still work remain to be done,' said Hoare. National Work Zone Awareness Week runs until April 25. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
