Opinion

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

Support your friends and neighbors Christmas is nearly here, and for those of you who love to wait until the last minute to check off all the names on your shopping list, there are some great local options to help you find that perfect present.  The Finger Lakes region is packed full of shops, artisans,

The New York Division of Budget recently released its mid-year financial plan update, which shows that the state is facing its largest budget gap since the recession in 2010. This time, however, the economy is not to blame. It is largely Medicaid that is causing the gap. The report shows the $78 billion Medicaid program —

To me, it was a thunderclap. Years ago, when I was in Congress, we were in the midst of a tense, contentious debate. Members had become irritated, levying charges back and forth, and tempers were rising. It was starting to look like we might just go off the rails. Then one member stood up, asked

In Albany, there are a number of aays that legislation comes about. At times, a legislator will introduce a bill addressing a circumstance that personally affected that legislator. In other cases, a bill will be introduced to address a problem or issue faced by a constituent of the legislator or take on an issue raised

Here is an idea: Let’s end taxes on corporations. Yes, I mean it —zero taxes for the big businesses of America. By now, some readers’ noses are completely bent out of shape. What? Are you crazy? Let corporations escape paying their “fair share”? How outrageous. Free them from their civic duty? Obscene. This would be

Student-loan debt and the high cost of living can make it difficult for many to achieve the dream of owning a home. To try to help, I have drafted and introduced legislation that would incentivize graduates of New York state colleges to purchase homes rehabilitated by local land banks. This legislation, known as the NYS

Representative democracy is based on a simple premise. It’s that ordinary citizens can make satisfactory judgments on complex public policy and political issues — or at least grasp them well enough to decide who should be dealing with them.   But the significance of that premise isn’t simple at all. It means that our country’s future depends

With an estimated 10,000 baby boomers turning age 65 each day and approaching retirement, there is a growing need to find qualified individuals to fill jobs across many employment sectors.  One tool that is helping businesses fill these skilled-labor gaps are apprenticeship programs. The recent National Apprenticeship Week helped draw attention to these important state-managed