Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
OPINION: We can fix our broken politics
Americans are fed up with politics. That’s the obvious conclusion of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, which found many of us have “unrelentingly negative” views of politics and elected officials. It’s understandable that people are discouraged. There are plenty of reasons to feel that way. I’m not especially alarmed at the findings […]
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Americans are fed up with politics. That’s the obvious conclusion of a recent survey by the Pew Research Center, which found many of us have “unrelentingly negative” views of politics and elected officials.
It’s understandable that people are discouraged. There are plenty of reasons to feel that way. I’m not especially alarmed at the findings of the survey, however. The key thing is that we maintain an interest in improving our broken politics. That’s critically important.
If the American people were to get so turned off by politics that they refuse to participate, that would be a real problem for our democracy. Fortunately, there’s evidence that we haven’t reached that point.
Americans have long had a healthy skepticism about political power and those who wield it, but the Pew survey suggests distrust has reached new heights. Some 65 percent of those questioned said thinking about politics left them exhausted. More than half indicated it made them angry. Only a few said it made them hopeful or excited.
Asked to describe U.S. politics in one word, many came up with “divisive,” “corrupt,” or “chaotic.” Asked to identify the strong points of our politics, more than half couldn’t come up with anything.
It’s obvious that our politics are going through a difficult time. Congress seems dysfunctional, struggling to pass spending bills to keep the government operating. A single senator has blocked promotions for hundreds of military officers. Election campaigns are filled with personal attacks. Divisions threaten our support for allies, including Ukraine, a rejection of the adage that politics stops at the water’s edge.
Partisanship has reached new heights, with Democrats and Republicans seeming to inhabit separate worlds. The one thing both sides agree on is that our politics aren’t working.
Dissatisfaction with politics crosses political, social, and demographic lines, according to the Pew survey. It is shared by White, Black, Asian, and Hispanic adults. It affects old people as well as young people.
Nearly nine out of 10 Americans say politicians are more focused on fighting each other than on solving problems. Some 28 percent distrust both major parties, the highest figure in nearly 30 years. It’s common to hear people say that neither party cares about ordinary people. Americans distrust the executive and legislative branches of government, and a majority have a dim view of the Supreme Court.
Americans are rightly suspicious of the growing role that money plays in politics. About 85 percent said that the cost of election campaigns keeps good candidates from running and that special interests have too much influence on politicians. Only about a quarter of the people rate the quality of political candidates as very or somewhat good, down 20 percentage points in the past five years.
You might expect this distrust and discouragement would cause Americans to disengage from politics. Fortunately, that doesn’t seem to be happening.
The elections of 2018, 2020, and 2022 featured some of the highest voter turnout rates in decades. About two-thirds of eligible adults voted in 2020, the highest rate for a national election since 1900. Those are encouraging signs.
And the public has ideas for improving our politics. In the Pew survey, majorities favored limits on campaign contributions and spending. The survey found broad support for term limits on members of Congress and for age limits on elected and appointed officials, including Supreme Court justices. Elections in November in Kentucky, Ohio, and Virginia drew strong interest and participation. In another hopeful sign, more young people have been running for office — and often winning.
We Americans have always been an optimistic and forward-looking people, confident in our ability to solve problems and make progress. We’re right to be unhappy with the condition of our politics, but we have the power and the ability to make our politics better.
Lee Hamilton, 92, 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.

AMY L. BRODERICK, CPA has been promoted to manager at Grossman St. Amour CPAs PLLC. She practices in the areas of audit and attest engagements and financial-statement preparation in the firm’s audit services group. Broderick works with nonprofit entities including affordable-housing agencies. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
AMY L. BRODERICK, CPA has been promoted to manager at Grossman St. Amour CPAs PLLC. She practices in the areas of audit and attest engagements and financial-statement preparation in the firm’s audit services group. Broderick works with nonprofit entities including affordable-housing agencies. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a master’s degree in accounting, and a graduate of Niagara University with a bachelor’s degree in secondary math education.

Syracuse University Libraries recently promoted MELINDA DERMODY to associate dean for academic success, after she successfully filled the role in an interim capacity for more than a year. Dermody has 25 years of leadership and management experience in academic libraries and brings an unwavering focus and dedication to advancing the Syracuse University Libraries’ commitment to
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Syracuse University Libraries recently promoted MELINDA DERMODY to associate dean for academic success, after she successfully filled the role in an interim capacity for more than a year. Dermody has 25 years of leadership and management experience in academic libraries and brings an unwavering focus and dedication to advancing the Syracuse University Libraries’ commitment to teaching, learning, and student success. As associate dean for academic success, her portfolio includes access & resource sharing, which provides users with seamless access to needed resources, including circulating collections and equipment, study rooms, interlibrary loan, preservation, and alternate format services for accessibility; information literacy, which delivers quality instructional opportunities to advance the university’s teaching and learning; and learning & academic engagement, which supports student achievement and success through services including reference, printing and technology support, outreach and liaison partnerships, instruction, event planning, exhibitions and user experience. Since joining Syracuse University Libraries in 2005, Dermody held progressively more senior positions, including most recently as head of access and resource sharing.

Oswego Health has added three providers to its primary care team: JUSTIN BEEBE, NP, RUTHIE GUZMAN, NP, and KIM POMPO, PA. Beebe, Guzman, and Pompo are now part of the 100-plus physicians and advanced-practice providers employed by Oswego Health and the 270 providers on the medical staff representing multiple specialty services across the community. Oswego
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Oswego Health has added three providers to its primary care team: JUSTIN BEEBE, NP, RUTHIE GUZMAN, NP, and KIM POMPO, PA. Beebe, Guzman, and Pompo are now part of the 100-plus physicians and advanced-practice providers employed by Oswego Health and the 270 providers on the medical staff representing multiple specialty services across the community. Oswego Health currently has six primary care locations and employs 19 primary care providers throughout Oswego County.
Beebe brings 14 years of clinical experience as he joins the team at Fulton PrimeCare. He earned his master’s degree in nursing in 2018 from Upstate Medical University, his associate degree from St. Joseph’s College of Nursing in 2012, and his bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2010 from SUNY Oswego. Beebe previously worked in Oswego at a private practice, where he gained extensive primary care and outpatient experience. Since 2013, he has worked per-diem at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center as a registered nurse in both the emergency department and emergency observation unit, a position he will continue to maintain.
Guzman brings 10 years of clinical experience to the team of Oswego Family Physicians. She earned her master’s degree in nursing in 2022 from Le Moyne College, as well as her bachelor’s in nursing in 2016. Also that year, Guzman completed her associate degree from St. Joseph’s College of Nursing and her bachelor’s in pharmacology & toxicology in 2012 from SUNY Buffalo. She previously worked in Oswego at a private practice, where she also gained extensive primary care experience. Between 2017 and 2022, Guzman was a registered nurse at St. Joseph’s Hospital Health Center in its Progressive Care Unit and Medical-Surgical Intensive Care Unit. Before that, she was a certified nursing assistant (CNA) for Elderwood at Liverpool and St. Luke Health Services.
Pompo earned her physician assistant master’s degree in 2023 from Upstate Medical University and her bachelor’s in molecular & cellular biology in 2020 from Cedarville University. Throughout her training, Pompo had clinical rotations in family medicine, long-term care, internal medicine, emergency medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, cardiology, women’s health, and neurology. However, her passion has always been family medicine. Pompo previously worked as a CNA throughout Central New York, where she gained extensive long-term care, rehab, and inpatient experience. She will join Fulton PrimeCare.

UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health has added KATHRINE (KATIE) AYERS to the medical staff of Geneva General Hospital, in the hospitalist department. Ayers received her master’s degree in nursing in the family nurse practitioner program from St. John Fisher University, Wegmans School of Nursing. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. John
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
UR Medicine Finger Lakes Health has added KATHRINE (KATIE) AYERS to the medical staff of Geneva General Hospital, in the hospitalist department. Ayers received her master’s degree in nursing in the family nurse practitioner program from St. John Fisher University, Wegmans School of Nursing. She also earned her bachelor’s degree in nursing from St. John Fisher University. Most recently, Ayers worked in the Emergency Department at Clifton Springs Hospital.

Community Memorial Hospital recently announced that FRANK J. WALCZAK IV joined its orthopedic practice as a physician assistant. He has a strong foundation in orthopedics and athletic training with a commitment to delivering exceptional patient care. Walczak received a master’s degree in physician-assistant studies from Le Moyne College in Syracuse and a bachelor’s degree in
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Community Memorial Hospital recently announced that FRANK J. WALCZAK IV joined its orthopedic practice as a physician assistant. He has a strong foundation in orthopedics and athletic training with a commitment to delivering exceptional patient care. Walczak received a master’s degree in physician-assistant studies from Le Moyne College in Syracuse and a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology, with a concentration in athletic training, from SUNY Cortland. Walczak is licensed as a New York State physician associate and holds certifications in advanced cardiovascular life support (ACLS), basic life support (BLS), and first aid from the American Heart Association. Walczak’s clinical experience includes rotations in various medical fields, such as emergency medicine, neurosurgery, general surgery, family medicine, pediatrics, and orthopedics. In these rotations, he built proficiencies in wound closures, joint injections, casting, splinting, and joint aspiration.

Loretto Health & Rehabilitation
JOHAUN T. JACKSON has been promoted to director of nursing education and development for skilled nursing, and TONYAL ROBINSON has been promoted to manager of academic education at Loretto Health & Rehabilitation. Jackson and Robinson support Loretto’s licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program, which allows employees to become licensed practical nurses. The LPN apprenticeship program
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
JOHAUN T. JACKSON has been promoted to director of nursing education and development for skilled nursing, and TONYAL ROBINSON has been promoted to manager of academic education at Loretto Health & Rehabilitation. Jackson and Robinson support Loretto’s licensed practical nurse (LPN) apprenticeship program, which allows employees to become licensed practical nurses. The LPN apprenticeship program offers hands-on instruction and mentoring, paid on-the-job classroom training, and prepares students to take the state exam to become licensed practical nurses.
Jackson has served as the apprenticeship program director at Loretto Health and Rehabilitation for five years, leading its annual LPN cohort’s training and leadership mentoring. With more than 20 years of critical care expertise, Jackson has demonstrated success as both a clinical practitioner and nursing educator. Prior to joining Loretto, Jackson served as an assistant professor and department chair at SUNY Morrisville State College, as director of nursing at the Onondaga County Justice Center, and as health occupations coordinator for the Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES LPN program, while practicing as a critical care registered nurse in the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at St. Joseph’s Hospital. Jackson received his associate degree from St. Joseph’s College of Nursing, a bachelor’s and master’s in nursing education from Le Moyne College, and a doctorate degree from St. John Fisher College, with a dual focus in social justice and executive leadership.
Robinson will now lead the LPN Apprentice Program. She currently serves as the nurse educator for the certified nurse aide (CNA) training program at Loretto. She began her career at Loretto 18 years ago and has demonstrated exemplary clinical skills, compassionate bedside manner, interprofessional collaboration, dedication to quality of care, and an exceptional work ethic. Her versatile nursing experience across hospital systems, home care, and primary care settings with a focus on nursing education has enhanced her advanced critical thinking skills cultivated in diverse environments. Robinson received her associate degree from St. Joseph’s College of Nursing, bachelor’s degree in nursing from Grand Canyon University, and master’s degree in nursing: nursing education from Grand Canyon University.

Tully Rinckey PLLC has added MARK BABILONIA as a senior associate attorney in the firm’s Syracuse office. Babilonia focuses his practice on commercial transactions and civil litigation. He also has experience in labor and employment law, municipal and construction law, and land-use matters. Prior to joining Tully Rinckey, Babilonia worked in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received
Become a Central New York Business Journal subscriber and get immediate access to all of our subscriber-only content and much more.
Click here to purchase a paywall bypass link for this article.
Tully Rinckey PLLC has added MARK BABILONIA as a senior associate attorney in the firm’s Syracuse office. Babilonia focuses his practice on commercial transactions and civil litigation. He also has experience in labor and employment law, municipal and construction law, and land-use matters. Prior to joining Tully Rinckey, Babilonia worked in Honolulu, Hawaii. He received his law degree from Quinnipiac University School of Law and is admitted to practice before all state courts in New York and Hawaii.

Barclay Damon partner appointed magistrate judge for the U.S. District Court in Syracuse
“I’m thrilled to step into this new role. After more than three decades serving clients, I am excited to enter into public service,” Katz said

Rome Health holds groundbreaking ceremony for new operating rooms and ICU
The Kaplan Center for Surgical Services is named in honor of Charles and Florence Kaplan, who donated $5 million to the project. King and King
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.