Opinion

This summer, the Tax Foundation released a map showing the combined local, state, and federal cell-phone tax rates. The map showed, not surprisingly, that New York residents pay the third-highest rate of taxes and fees on wireless service in the country. Our state and local rate is 17.85 percent. When those taxes are combined with […]

What do you think? Any hint of corruption here? First, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo makes gambling a major plank in his plans for the state economy. He wants another seven big casinos. Several of them will be located Upstate. This despite the unsavory aspects of casinos. Lots of studies in lots of states tell

What’s in a name? According to Will Shakespeare, “That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.” Some call it New York State Assembly Bill 8086. Others call it the New York Casino Gaming Amendment. Most call it Proposition One. The amendment to the state constitution will appear on the

A few lines from a song capture New York state’s dilemma. From the musical named “1776”: “Does anybody care? Is anybody there?” The state has declined for years. Especially Upstate. You know that. Your dog knows that. Our population declines. We are aging faster than any other state. Why? Our young people abandon the state.

Following two straight losses to open the 2013 season and a tepid start to its game against Wagner, the Syracuse Orange football team’s season was rapidly starting to resemble that photo of the Niagara River about to go over the top.   Not much had gone right in the opening two contests against Penn State

When it comes to Washington, how often do you ask, “How can they do this to us?” Here is a simple answer for you: Beltway Bubble.   Our ruling elite operates within an impervious bubble. Its walls have grown thicker and more opaque. Those within are cut off from the rest of the country. They

A bunch of fast-food workers went on strike for a day recently — to call for lifting the minimum wage in their state — from $7.25 to $15.   It’s easy to mock them. And at least one big newspaper did. It asked, “If $15 is a good idea, why not raise the minimum wage

Back in 1995, the Cato Institute published a study entitled, “The Work vs. Welfare Trade-Off,” which analyzed welfare benefits in all 50 states, and concluded they were a disincentive to work. A year later, the Congress enacted, and President Clinton signed, welfare-reform legislation that ended Aid to Families with Dependent Children, replacing it with the

There is a new water-level plan proposed for Lake Ontario that will threaten shoreline property, recreational activity, and damage public infrastructure. Plan 2014 has been proposed by the International Joint Commission (IJC). The IJC is comprised of six members from Canada and the U.S. It was created to help handle issues in shared waters, such

“No fracking in New York! No more pipelines either!,” the man screamed into my face. We were at a farmers’ market across from the school in my village.   I asked him to face the school, and explained, “That school may close. Not enough kids. Because there are not enough young marrieds here. There are