For GOP, All Eyes Rest On Wavering Donovan
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
After a March 4 press conference in the Capitol building touting tougher crackdowns on violent domestic offenders, Dan Donovan slipped into Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos’ office for a 20-minute meeting. When he came out, Donovan seemed as confused...
Prospective No. 2 Candidates Wait To Hear From The Prospective No. 1
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
If the general election were held tomorrow, the race for lieutenant governor of New York—a position that has gained importance in direct proportion to the dwindling fortunes of the last two governors—would come down to a choice between the...
Upstate Officials Say Cost May Be Too Great In Mentally Ill Housing Switch
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
Following a March 1 Federal District Court ruling, the state is now legally responsible for giving thousands of mentally ill adults the chance to live on their own, find work, shop, budget, cook and entertain friends. The state has...
NOW Now
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
With domestic violence charges at the center of two high-profile political scandals in Albany, politicians on both sides of the aisle have responded by trumpeting their records on women’s issues, using the episodes as opportunities to declare themselves leaders...
The New Sheriff
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
“There’s going to be an announcement between now and the end of May, because that’s when the Democratic convention is,” said Kathleen Rice, when asked when she thought Andrew Cuomo would declare what everyone had been assuming for the...
Why Race To The Top Matters For New York
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
With a statewide graduation rate of only 70 percent and below 50 percent in many low-income communities, and too many high school graduates unready for college, we must work urgently to deliver the promise of educational opportunity for New...
Avoiding Mid-Year Cuts So Every School Receives Adequate Funding
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
With the start of a new decade, the New York State Assembly Standing Committee on Education looks ahead at what needs to be done to make sure that every student in New York State gets the best education possible....
Maintaining Educational Excellence In Tough Times
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
These are challenging times for most New York schools. Buffeted by declining state aid and mounting property tax fatigue, school districts are struggling to maintain educational programs with fewer and fewer resources. As chair of the Senate Education Committee,...
Governor's Higher Ed Reforms Short-Sighted And Counterproductive
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
Across the country, the pressure on public colleges and university systems is reaching the breaking point. Collapsing state budgets and the erosion of financial aid support during the Bush years has low-income and working families facing cost barriers that...
The Future Of New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
The New York City Off-Track Betting Corporation (NYC OTB) was created in 1970 to close a New York City budget gap, and to provide a continuing source of revenue for the City while eliminating illegal gambling on horse races....
Without Swift Action, OTB Bankruptcy Will Continue To Cost New York Jobs, Revenue
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
Governing is choosing. Those of us privileged enough to serve in government face difficult decisions that each day require us to weigh two or more opposed—yet valid—arguments. Not all professions see this degree of adjudication on a regular basis....
In New York, Current OTB Model Not Perfect, Yet Is All We Have
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
I first became involved with the New York State pari-mutual industry in 1974 when, as an Assistant Attorney General assigned to the New York State Organized Crime Task Force, I was involved in conducting investigations into allegations of race...
From A Gang of Four, Harlem's Future Now Goes To A Divided Gang Of Two
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
Al Sharpton’s emergency leadership meeting at Sylvia’s Restaurant in early March attracted more than just hoards of news reporters. It also drew a sizeable crowd of angry Harlemites. While Sharpton and a host of prominent black, Latino and Asian...
Troopers PBA President Draws Thin Blue Line Between Road Troopers, Detail
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
As reports broke that Gov. David Paterson may have used his security detail to intimidate a domestic violence victim, leadership of the State Troopers Police Benevolent Association wanted to make one thing clear: the governor’s security detail might be...
Ethnic Divisions And Supporters' Political Ambitions Color Race To Succeed Schneiderman
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
Rep. Charlie Rangel’s decision to step down as chair of the House Ways and Means Committee last month set off a flurry of speculation about who will soon succeed him in Congress. But the news also scrambled an already...
Slow Spending Of $770 Million In Stimulus Cash For Green Energy Projects
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
In the 13 months since the federal economic stimulus bill was passed, less than 10 percent of the $770 million awarded to New York for energy efficiency and clean energy projects has been spent, according to the federal Department...
New Battle Lines On Mayoral Control As Rochester Considers School Changeover
March 15, 2010 06:00 PM
Rochester Mayor Robert Duffy surprised his city when, in his second inaugural address this past January, he announced plans to take over the city’s school system.“There is no way that the city government and the school district can maintain...
AEG Departure Leaves Aqueduct Funds Stuck At Starting Gate, Opening Budget Hole
March 15, 2010 03:00 PM
Even before the state’s deal with the Aqueduct Entertainment Group (AEG) deal fell through, Gov. David Paterson had been mulling delaying tax rebates because of the looming cash shortfall.Now there is $300 million more missing. The state’s overall cash...
With Six Of 17 On Regents Board Up For Reappointment, Calls To Change Process
March 1, 2010 05:15 PM
On a Wednesday in early February, Board of Regents member Roger Tilles walked into his reappointment interview with Assembly Members Deborah Glick and Cathy Nolan. Six minutes later, he walked out with a pretty clear feeling that he would...
After Property Tax Revolts of '09, County Execs Dig In Against Unions
March 1, 2010 05:15 PM
In a speech at the Conservative Party convention in late January, Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney proudly recounted how last fall, the Civil Service Employees Association (CSEA) had bused 1,000 members to budget hearings in Syracuse to protest her.“They...
