Opinion

How Politics Have Changed

I became active in politics in the late 1950s, got elected to Congress in 1964, and have remained engaged in one way or another every year since then. So I suppose I should not be surprised that I get Read More

In assessing America, should we focus on the mud or the stars?

Was America ever great? Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder poses the question: “Exactly when did you think America was great?” He competes with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, as Cuomo once told u Read More

2019-20 Budget Prioritizes New York City Interests

Sometimes being an elected official can be challenging because you are forced to make difficult decisions. At times, I have had to vote on legislation that if enacted would have both a positive and ne Read More

New York State Budget Debacle

The 2019-2020 enacted state budget is a tax-and-spend debacle and precisely the fiscal disaster many predicted would follow the new one-party Democratic rule in Albany. The apparent economic strategy Read More

Political and Policy Skills are Merging

Here is a surprise: the skills that can be used to win in politics are increasingly the skills needed to produce good policy. I know: you look at the policy stalemates in Washington and wonder how th Read More

Letters: The value of a community college education

To the Editor: My college career began as a 21-year-old, a few years late in seeing the light, but then laser-focused on achievement versus simple sustenance. Broome Community College (BCC) — now cal Read More

Road and Bridge Funding Needed in Upstate New York

Our local roads and bridges are in need of serious investments. New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli forecasts $89 billion in unmet local infrastructure needs over the next 20 years with as much Read More

Accountability Makes Good Government

As various U.S. House of Representatives committees gear up for a season of investigations and hearings on President Trump and his administration, many people are worried that progress on the nation’s Read More