Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.
College Costs are Crushing Young New Yorkers
We’ve reached the time of year where college students [have made] their way back to campus. [Classes have started] and young men and women are [embarking on] another year of coursework. But today’s college students have to consider more than academic preparations. More and more often, they are dealing with significant financial preparations for the […]
DRI Funding Supports Private-Dollar Investments
The City of Fulton received some fantastic news in August when it was named the regional winner of this year’s $10 million Downtown Revitalization Initiative (DRI) state grant. This is the second time a community in Oswego County has been awarded the DRI funding in three years. In 2016, the City of Oswego was among
Those Who Predict Recessions are Often Wrong
Are we staring at a recession on the horizon? You have surely seen or heard reports, opinion, and speculation to that effect. Gloom has been a mini-rage lately. A few questions are in order. Are economists able to accurately predict recessions? No. If their accuracy percentages were batting averages, you would bench them. Why is
Stronger Laws to Protect Police are Needed
Each day, police officers put their lives on the line to protect our communities. From routine traffic stops to being the first to respond to an accident — their bravery protects us each day but their safety is not guaranteed. Accordingly, we should do all we can to protect officers from harm and harassment as
Democracy Won’t Die If We Don’t Let It
Democracy’s premise is that ordinary citizens can make solid decisions on complex issues. But this basic principle and the structure of laws and practices built over the centuries to safeguard it are being questioned as rarely before. It’s not just that political leaders in various western democracies seem to have little regard for the norms and
Proposing a Bile or Hate Holiday
Perhaps the time has come for a bile holiday. Or a hatred holiday. Shortly after he was inaugurated, FDR declared a four-day bank holiday. This was after all the states declared bank holidays. The idea was to calm the turbulence caused by so many bank failures. I propose a bile holiday — to help clear
New York’s Climate Act: Short on Details, Long on Mandates & Costs
A basic element of well-crafted legislation is details. Well-written bills detail what parts of existing law will change, how the change will impact people, penalties if they apply, and include estimates of their fiscal impact. Such details, however, were nowhere to be found when New York’s so-called Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act passed the state
Brown & Brown Insurance to pay dividend of 8 cents in mid-August
Brown & Brown, Inc. (NYSE:BRO), the Florida–based parent of Syracuse–based Brown & Brown Empire State, recently announced that its board of directors has declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of 8 cents a share. The dividend is payable on Aug. 14 to shareholders of record on Aug. 7, the insurance agency said in a news
Campaigning for president until the end of time
If there is one thing we’re good at in this country, it is expanding things. From our waistlines and hamburgers to the NBA season, we know how to make things bigger and longer. Please note I do not imply necessarily better. The Baseball Hall of Fame serves up a good example. In 1980, I went
NY ABLE allows families of those with disabilities to plan for future
The NY ABLE 529 Plan was created to help families find a better way to afford expenses related to disabilities. It is similar to the successful 529 College Savings Account program, and allows people to open a tax-advantaged savings account that individuals with disabilities and their families can use to pay for qualified expenses. In order to
Stay up-to-date on the companies, people and issues that impact businesses in Syracuse, Central New York and beyond.