Opinion

[On Feb. 25], New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker was questioned regarding the Department of Health’s (DOH) budget and response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The budget hearing was designed to review the public-health portion of the executive’s budget proposal. As such, it fell woefully short as a platform to obtain an understanding of the full […]

As the events of the past few months have unfolded, I have often found myself wondering what our Founders would have made of it all. Impossible to know, of course, but they had plenty of insight to offer. In particular, I keep returning to these lines from James Madison. He delivered them during the Virginia convention to

He disregards both For months, we listened to Gov. Andrew Cuomo laud the importance of fact-based decision making and proclaim the values of objectivity and science. But “do as I say, not as I do” has always been a hallmark of this governor’s administration. So, it should not be too surprising he willfully disregarded the

Large-scale infrastructure projects are gaining national attention for their opportunity to spark growth and create jobs as the country seeks to recover from the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. This creates an important opportunity in our own community, which is why CenterState CEO is advocating for a “record of decision” on the redevelopment of Interstate-81 (I-81) as

It has never been clearer that there must be a full and immediate investigation of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s nursing-home coverup and the circumstances surrounding the loss of 15,000 senior citizens to COVID-19. A report from the state attorney general indicated missteps by the administration, namely underreporting the true death toll by 50 percent and requiring the homes

There was an interesting moment in Washington, D.C. at the end of January, on Antony Blinken’s first full day as secretary of state. Meeting with the press corps that covers the State Department, he called an independent press “a cornerstone of our democracy,” and told the assembled reporters, “You keep the American people and the world informed

I’m urging my colleagues in the New York Legislature to reject the proposal in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s budget that would delay middle-class tax cuts set to take effect this year. These tax cuts were enacted with strong bipartisan support several years ago. I am also inviting constituents to sign a petition on my website to preserve this

Making effective public policy takes more than good ideas and familiarity with the issues. It is not easy, especially when many people have lost trust in government and in each other, but it can be done with attention to time-honored characteristics of good governance. I mention a few of them. First, in developing public policy, you

I’m sickened by the findings of the New York Attorney General’s report on COVID nursing-home deaths, as are so many families who have contacted me since it was released. We need the facts. There should be a full investigation. And leaders should be held accountable for failing to protect our nursing-home residents and staff. While this investigation

With the handoff of power from one president to another, we enter this new phase of our national life in deep distress. We are divided and polarized, struggling to communicate reasonably with one another, and seemingly unable to find common ground on basic issues. Yet the path forward is neither new nor, really, difficult. We all know