As 2013 begins, I cannot help but wonder if it will bring any real reform to anything important for New Yorkers.
The Legislature did better last year under Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but what magic can the governor bring to create real campaign reform, not just window-dressing? Will he fashion compromises that bring our fiscal house into balance or fall into the trap of tax-and-spend without addressing the expenditure side of the ledger?
The most exciting political event of 2012 was creation of the power-sharing coalition in the Senate. It offers a real opportunity for change in the way Albany and our Legislature do business. Cuomo seems the right man to work with the coalition, to realize real accomplishments in the coming legislative session. With so many legislators retired and new faces taking their places, the likelihood of being proud to be a New Yorker appears for the first time in a long time.
Time will tell whether this opportunity will be embraced by our politicians or squandered, but the governor's 2016 presidential prospects are in the balance so I have high expectations for this new year.
LOUIS-JACK POZNER
Albany