Opinion

As you are reading this, many of New York’s children have just taken the high-stakes tests connected with the Common Core standards. Our educational landscape has become the unlikely battleground of democracy and personal rights. In the end, the cause is worthy; a sound public-education system for our children is one of the most important […]

Prince Charles, you forgot something. Britain’s Prince Charles visited us recently. His parting message was a strong criticism of capitalism. It is an economic system with enormous shortcomings, he told us.   Some commentators quickly came to capitalism’s defense. No other system has ever brought prosperity as capitalism has, they reminded us. “It is the profit

At the recent annual meeting of CenterState CEO, 1,000 members came together to help mark the fifth anniversary of the organization and explore our theme of evolution and continuous innovation. Evolution is at the heart of some of our most recent civic successes — downtown Syracuse’s revitalization, a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem, and an improved industrial

As New York state legislators Prepare for the second half of the Legislative session, it is vital we address the failures of the recently passed budget. With nowhere near enough help for middle-class families, and a major swing-and-miss on ethics reform and education, much remains to accomplish. I remain dedicated to advancing measures that will

It’s tax time and in all likelihood you’ve had some close, personal contact with your CPA firm during the last few weeks. While taxes and financial statements are probably at the center of conversation … are there other items on the agenda? I sincerely hope so.   CPAs are much more than number-crunchers and your

Throughout the budget-negotiation process, I’ve discussed a number of priorities, like the need to help middle-class families, supporting our children’s education, and helping family farmers. I think we’ve had some meaningful conversations on these matters. We must also see what we can do to invigorate upstate New York.   I am very passionate about finding

National Ag week was celebrated recently. It’s a week in which we recognize the abundant crops harvested by farmers all over the nation and the contributions they make to the economy. In New York state alone, the agriculture industry recorded $5.68 billion in cash receipts in 2013, up more than $1 billion from 2010.  Economists estimate

It is spring as Professor Albert Einstein and his assistant walk across the Princeton University campus. The shy assistant asks the famous physicist if the test he just gave his physics graduate students isn’t the same test he gave last year to this same group of students? “Yes,” Einstein answers, “it is the same test

I voted in favor of 17 reform measures on March 9] that would have created more openness and accountability in the [New York] Assembly. The Assembly has been mired with scandal and dysfunction for several decades, something I believe could have been corrected if the Democrats chose to adopt this set of reforms. I am dismayed at