Opinion

Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently wound down his daily COVID-19 briefings [the last regularly scheduled briefing was June 19]. At the end, he adopted a valedictory, mission-accomplished tone. He was thanking and congratulating staffers. He took to Twitter to proclaim that he has “the best team.” He thanked the media and anyone else who, in his […]

These are uncertain, divided times for our nation. Unemployment is at mind-boggling levels, a virus we still don’t fully understand is stifling the course of ordinary life, many businesses are struggling, nationwide protests continue against systemic and deep-seated racism, and local policy makers face rising questions about policing and public safety. It’s no surprise that this

No region of our state was spared from the economic devastation that followed the governor’s lockdowns and business closures in response to COVID-19. Family businesses that thrived for generations were suddenly on the brink. Hardworking people were forced to stay home. When they needed help from state government, too often they encountered a bureaucracy that

Discouraging news surrounds us. It’s hard to hide from. It’s in the newspapers, on television and radio, and on the internet. Our nation is divided, and our politics are polarized. We are torn apart by disagreements over immigration and by racial divisions. A pandemic has killed more than 100,000 Americans and hobbled the economy. Health

[The May] employment numbers (https://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.a.htm) confirm that we have turned the corner on the virus economic disaster. More people are working, more people are in the workforce, and America is reopening.  This is great news for the millions of Americans who fear that they may not have a job to return to. It is also

Over the last few years, the health of American democracy has come under great scrutiny. Polling routinely shows that Americans are concerned that democratic institutions aren’t working as well as they ought to be. Inevitably, this brings up the question of whether we can mend our problems or if the system of representative democracy itself

When facing criticism, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration has a simple playbook. Their first instinct is to dig in their heels. They insinuate that questions are being asked in bad faith. Legitimate oversight is waived off as politically motivated.  If that doesn’t work, they try to blame President Donald Trump.  Under normal circumstances, this is a

For decades after WWII, the U.S. stood across the world as a mighty colossus. We were the richest and strongest nation, and our history and institutions were the envy of all.   Naturally, the world looked to us for leadership. U.S. presidents were routinely regarded as leaders of the West or free world. The U.S. was

Many visiting Europeans are stunned by the huge number of derelict and otherwise empty buildings we have in the U.S.  Most of our cities show signs of manufacturing blight. Especially Northern and Rust Belt cities. In this state, a city does not qualify as a city unless it can show several shuttered factories, an empty

Like most Americans, I have always considered the United States an exceptional country. We possess a political system built on checks and balances, an ideal of giving voice to ordinary people across a diverse land, and a Constitution that favors finding common ground among them. Our economy, at its best, offers opportunity, rewards innovation, and