Opinion

Listening is often a forgotten, but vitally important skill in learning and problem solving.   How many times have each of us encouraged a child in our lives to pause and listen to something we were trying to convey so they could learn something? We’ve all seen it and probably engaged in one form or […]

Free-market economist and Nobel laureate Milton Friedman’s oft-quoted book title, “There’s No Such Thing As A Free Lunch,” reminds us to be wary of things appearing to come at no cost.    The same might be said of the notion of “free” labor. Employers who believe they are benefiting from greater productivity when employees habitually

While Oct. 3 came and went without any particular fanfare, it did mark the start of a new era in residential mortgage lending. That was the effective date for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) new combined Truth in Lending – Real Estate Settlement Procedures Integrated Disclosure (a/k/a “TRID”). For all residential mortgage-loan applications taken

If you have a heart problem would you to to a foot doctor?   That was my thought recently after the latest yuck report on the economy. Last quarter, it grew at half the speed needed to employ all the people who want to work.  Here is what led to the foot doctor thought.  

The Donald Trump phenomenon brings to mind many unpopular entrepreneurs.   Maybe you like The Donald. Maybe you don’t like him but you like his proposals. Or, maybe you don’t like either. No matter. You have to admit that he rubs a lot of people the wrong way. And that is my point. To many

New York state has more than 892,000 veterans as residents, according to federal-government figures from 2014. Our state is home to the second largest veteran population in the nation.    From older-generation veterans to those who are returning home today, veterans have a number of needs. The biggest issue often faced by our returning veterans

I will never forget my first promotion, moving from sales representative to team leader, supporting a team of three inside-sales representatives. It was an exciting time, and I couldn’t wait to dive right in.    After the first week in my new role, my excitement was replaced with doubt and my dive-right-in attitude turned into hesitation.

Education reform made headlines recently, and to quote the late, great New York Yankees’ legend Yogi Berra, “It’s like déjà vu all over again.” For the second time in as many years, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has created a task force to review the Common Core standardized tests. When he used this approach in 2014, the

Over the past three months, The New York Times has covered stories on the local impact of synthetic-drug use. In July, they published a story on the synthetic-drug problem that has been growing in the Syracuse region. On Sept. 2, they reported on the dramatic spike in the use of K2, synthetic marijuana, in Harlem

The Great New York State Fair is a wonderful tradition that truly encompasses the best this state has to offer. From Aug. 27 to Sept. 7, food, music, and exhibits highlighting products and experiences of our state will delight New Yorkers. I encourage all of you to bring family and friends to soak up the