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OPINION: Supporting Our Vital Law-Enforcement Community
During Crime Prevention Month & beyond National Crime Prevention Month represents an opportunity for individuals and organizations of every type to recommit to making our communities safer and to show our appreciation for the dedicated law-enforcement agents who tirelessly work toward those goals every day. In October, government agencies, community groups, businesses, schools and more […]
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National Crime Prevention Month represents an opportunity for individuals and organizations of every type to recommit to making our communities safer and to show our appreciation for the dedicated law-enforcement agents who tirelessly work toward those goals every day. In October, government agencies, community groups, businesses, schools and more have focused on ways to educate individuals about crime prevention and promote awareness about how crime impacts victims and damages our communities.
The Assembly Minority Conference takes crime prevention seriously. One of our key priorities each year is to promote legislation that protects residents and those who risk their well-being to keep us safe. Our commitment to crime victims and law enforcement is something I am extremely proud of; I have always believed the most important role of government is to keep those it represents safe.
Considering our substantial commitment to protecting the state, our conference has worked hard on programs and policies to that end. For example, our recently launched Task Force on Human Trafficking has already garnered considerable feedback in an area of growing concern in New York. With the insights we have gained during recent forums, we have been able to begin crafting legislation to protect vulnerable individuals from the terrors of forced sex work and abuse.
We have also looked closely at fixing some of the chief issues driving crime in New York like the near elimination of bail, numerous anti-police reforms, a massive influx of migrants, and misguided laws like “Raise the Age.” The way the state mitigates and prosecutes crime has drifted too far from the common-sense, accepted practices governing most of the country. Here, we treat criminals better than cops, and that has to stop.
In addition, we have also offered a number of ways to protect our law-enforcement agents already fighting an uphill battle in New York. We have written the following legislation:
•Making life imprisonment without parole mandatory for defendants convicted of murder in the first or second degree if the victim is a police officer, specified peace officer, first responder or correctional officer (A.7472, Angelino/S.408, Gallivan).
•Designating offenses against law enforcement, emergency medical services personnel and/or firefighters as hate crimes, thereby increasing the penalty for the offense (A.3417, DeStefano/S.6091, Murray).
•Allowing judges to consider the safety of any person or the community when determining pre-trial release for a criminal suspect (A.9708, Reilly).
•Reinstating the death penalty in New York state and making it an available sentence for those convicted of the intentional killing of police officers, specified peace officers, and first responders, among others (A.3906, Barclay/S.1271, Ortt).
During October [and beyond], consider ways you can better educate yourself about the impact crime has, especially on vulnerable individuals like children, the elderly, and those in the disability community. Also, consider taking time to show appreciation for the individuals who keep us safe every day. Together, we can find ways to strengthen the fabric of our state and our nation through education, compassion, and commitment to protecting one another.
William (Will) A. Barclay, 55, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.
OPINION: At the Ballot Box, Skills Matter
It’s not just about party. Back in early October, as parts of the South were still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s impact and Hurricane Milton had begun its run toward Florida, House Speaker Mike Johnson gave an interview to Fox News. Even though the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was facing possible staffing and funding shortages
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Back in early October, as parts of the South were still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s impact and Hurricane Milton had begun its run toward Florida, House Speaker Mike Johnson gave an interview to Fox News. Even though the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) was facing possible staffing and funding shortages as it prepared to deal with both the short-term and long-term aftermath of the crises, Johnson said extra funding would have to wait until after the election.
In the midst of one of the most closely fought, tensest elections I can remember, it’s hardly surprising that a House speaker would take politics into consideration — even as ordinary Americans faced real hardship. But that moment also served as a potent reminder that in our system, the federal government’s ability to respond to everything from immediate crises to the country’s long-term needs rests in multiple hands — Congress’s just as much as the President’s.
Put another way, our nation’s ability to get things done depends in no small part on Congress’s ability to get things done. And with the elections approaching, that’s something to keep in mind as you look at the candidates. I have no doubt that this year in particular, you will be thinking about party and ideology. But I also hope you’ll look closely at temperament and political skills.
What do I mean by this? Skills include things like the ability to communicate — not just to speak persuasively, but to listen to and understand what others are trying to say. They include an ability to forge consensus among constituencies with different viewpoints. And they include the capacity to pull a diverse group of people together to focus on key problems, one of the most difficult tasks in politics. These aren’t just nice-to-haves. They’re vital to the functioning of our representative democracy. It takes true skill to create a functioning government that reflects the will of the people.
But temperament matters, too, because perhaps more than anything, I put the willingness and ability to forge compromise at the top of what Congress needs from its members. This has been true for our entire history. In the first-ever session of Congress, our forebears were confronted not just with a new form of government, but with the challenging question of how to make it work. The stakes were high, and members back then carried political agendas that were just as sharply divided and keenly felt as on Capitol Hill today. Yet even so, the historian Robert Remini once wrote, “The members disagreed at times, and even quarreled, but never to the point of creating irreconcilable factions within the House. This cooperation and harmony … was essential in the beginning.”
To my mind, it’s essential today, too. It may be too much to expect harmony, of course, but cooperation and compromise are part and parcel of making this country work. For years now, politicians have tended to sneer at compromise, at least in public. But for just as long, the reality on Capitol Hill has been narrowly divided chambers — whichever party has been in the majority, it has had to take the other party into account. It may be fine to rally the base when you’re campaigning, but when you actually have to legislate, scorched-earth tactics just alienate the people with which you need to work.
We’ve seen where that gets us. Congress’s historically low standing in the polls stems from the widespread perception that it’s unable to act, even in the face of immense challenges at home and abroad. Fixing this will require electing politicians who know how to build rapport with people of different political persuasions, who treat political adversaries with respect, and above all, who aren’t afraid to compromise and who know how to do it. We all have an interest in addressing our nation’s challenges, whether it’s unemployment, crime, immigration, or natural disasters. We need members of Congress who are willing to roll up their sleeves and show that they do, too.
Lee Hamilton, 93, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.
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Syracuse–based accounting firm acquires Capital Region business
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse–based accounting firm Dannible & McKee, LLP on Tuesday said it’s acquired a Capital Region firm in a deal that became official on Oct. 1. Patrick A. Arico, Jr., CPA, P.C., an accounting firm in Clifton Park in Saratoga County, is now part of Dannible & McKee. “This strategic move aligns with
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SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Syracuse–based accounting firm Dannible & McKee, LLP on Tuesday said it’s acquired a Capital Region firm in a deal that became official on Oct. 1.
Patrick A. Arico, Jr., CPA, P.C., an accounting firm in Clifton Park in Saratoga County, is now part of Dannible & McKee.
“This strategic move aligns with the firm’s growth plan to enhance its capacity to serve businesses throughout the Capitol Region with expanded services and expertise,” Dannible & McKee said in its Tuesday announcement.
The local firm didn’t include any financial details of the acquisition agreement in its announcement.
Patrick A. Arico, Jr., CPA, P.C. has been providing accounting, tax, and consulting services to businesses in the construction, service, and medical industries since 1985. The firm’s specialties range from reviews, compilations, and tax preparation and planning to consulting, bookkeeping, and accounting services.
With this acquisition, both Arico and Jennifer Sousie, a tax senior accountant, have joined Dannible & McKee’s office in Schenectady.
“We’re excited to join forces with Dannible & McKee, as it will undoubtedly be advantageous for both my team and myself,” Arico said in the Dannible announcement. “This partnership allows us to offer our clients an even broader range of services and resources while maintaining the personalized attention that has been the hallmark of our firm.”
Arico, who brings more than 45 years of experience in public practice to Dannible & McKee, will continue to practice as a tax partner with the firm.
“Our commitment to providing exceptional service to our clients is the driving force behind our growth strategy at Dannible & McKee,” Christopher Didio, managing partner at Dannible & McKee, said in the firm’s announcement. “The alignment of our values, client-centric approach and combined expertise of both firms creates tremendous opportunities for both our clients and our team members. We warmly welcome the staff, clients, and friends of Pat Arico’s firm to our organization.”
About Dannible & McKee
Established as a partnership in 1978, Dannible & McKee provides services in the areas of audit, tax, accounting and financial management consulting to clients nationwide.
The firm says it focuses on major industry lines and specializes in multi-state taxation review, business valuation, litigation support and fraud prevention and detection.
Dannible operates offices in Syracuse, Auburn, Binghamton, and Schenectady in New York, and one in Tampa, Florida. Following the acquisition, Dannible & McKee now employs more than 120 professional and support staff, including 23 partners.
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