When the next election for governor rolls around, it will be time to balance the pros and cons of the Cuomo administration. If there are significant gains in education, employment and housing starts and significant decreases in crime, unemployment and property foreclosures, that's all good.
But what about the hunger problem? One in five New York children still live in poverty, according to a 2011 report from the state's Council on Children and Families.
And what about population loss? Eight percent of the state's population — disgusted and despairing taxpayers, property owners, and job seekers — have left for other parts of the country, according to a 2011 Empire Center for New York State Policy analysis.
And what about the governor's proposal to build seven new gambling casinos? Let's think about it. Who does most of the gambling? It's mostly the people who can least afford to gamble, those people who struggle every day to make ends meet, feed their families and plan for the future.
The profits Gov. Andrew Cuomo suggests are pie in the sky. He should hold public forums on the subject so questions can be asked. Then, if it comes to a vote in the next election, let's remember that if we shouldn't encourage our children to drink, smoke, take drugs, join gangs or gamble, then we should vote it down.
Sylvia Honig
Wynantskill