Opinion

Most of us know that upstate New York struggles. When it comes to economic matters, it does. Fewer new jobs, new businesses, and expanding businesses than most parts of the U.S. enjoy. Upstaters suffer nearly the lowest income growth of any region in the U.S. The Southern Tier has particularly bad figures. We know upstate […]

Central New York’s job growth is the strongest in decades. In October, year-over-year job growth in Syracuse was nearly 2 percent, compared to 0.4 percent growth in the combined regions of Albany, Rochester, and Buffalo. While this job growth is an important indicator of the strength of our regional economy, it also drives talent challenges

So, who do you trust? Do you trust the people involved in Jeffrey Epstein’s death? They tell you he committed suicide. Despite any number of bizarre coincidences that suggest he was done in by someone. So, do you trust the officials who tell you otherwise? Do you trust your FBI? If you say you don’t, I

As we progress through this new year at the start of a new decade, the looming $6 billion New York State budget shortfall is a harsh reminder that some things just never change in Albany. Uncontrolled state spending, unfunded mandates, and an anti-business regulatory climate continue to plague our state.  Tax hikes on families and

You know these words, but how often do you stop to think about them? “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity…” They

Because we have access to a wide selection of food year-round at local grocery stores, it is sometimes easy to forget where our food comes from, but New York’s farmers are agriculture leaders. They produce an array of commodities including milk, fruits, vegetables, grains, and maple syrup. Not only is the variety impressive but Upstate’s

This country has a debt crisis. Yawn. Who the hell cares? Certainly not our Congress. It keeps juicing up what it spends — beyond the income that comes into the Washington, D.C. coffers. Our Congressional reps remind me of a couple who came to me years ago for financial counseling. They had gone bankrupt twice. And

On Dec. 16, the law allowing undocumented immigrants the ability to obtain a New York State driver’s license went into effect. The fact that this is now the law is a stunning reversal from 12 years ago when then- Gov. Elliot Spitzer proposed the measure. Some may recall, Spitzer dropped the proposal due to overwhelming opposition

Not long ago, I was in a meeting to talk about a public-policy issue. It was complex, and as we considered the various angles I thought about what it would take to translate talk into change on the ground. I wasn’t analyzing the politics of it — I was focused on the types of people

For the last 10 years, there has been a national effort to collectively support local businesses with Small Business Saturday. Since 2010, this initiative has served as a reminder that gifts and services purchased locally for the holidays supports businesses and jobs in our backyards. In fact, it is estimated that 67 cents of every