Special ed oversight is crucial
The system for monitoring providers of special education services for preschool children in New York is broken, and taxpayers are paying a big price. There is an urgent need for more robust oversight...
View ArticleDowd: Year of the uncommon candidate
So it turns out that Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio, who's campaigning on a promise to de-Bloomberg Gotham, do have something in common.Both men, who grew up in the Boston area, threw caution to...
View ArticleVacancies make it difficult to present a case for the arts
The following is from an editorial in The New York Times: More than eight months ago, the high-wattage Broadway producer Rocco Landesman announced his departure as chairman of the National Endowment...
View ArticleEditorial: Well, what did we learn?
THE ISSUE:The Dodd-Frank regulations of the financial services industry are more theory than reality.THE STAKES:Nothing less than the potential for more economic disaster. It's some anniversary we're...
View ArticleFriedman: Egypt on the edge of a tumble
Egyptians have two bad options to choose from right now. Will anyone offer a third?Of all the troubling images from Cairo, none could be worse than the pictures of the many civilian casualties. But...
View ArticleLetter: Wearing a helmet essential to biking
This summer, I have noticed many kids riding their bicycles without helmets. This is extremely dangerous and can result in severe head and brain injuries if they fall and hit their heads. Also,...
View ArticleLetter: Story could add to suicide attempts
Thank you for your recent article regarding the dangers of over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol and suicide attempts ("Suicidal teens turn to Tylenol," Aug. 7). Suicide is a public health...
View ArticleSeiler: No one ploted crime like Leonard
As if Detroit needed another kick in the slats this summer.The death of Elmore Leonard, the bard of the bankrupt Motor City, should be seen as a loss but not a tragedy. He was, after all, 87 years...
View ArticlePage: The stick is mightier than sword
What I know about conducting music I could write on a match book, but I have long found conductors a fascinating breed. So just a few days after picking out my subscription concerts for the Albany...
View ArticleLetter: Group wants to save Lake George
Let what the Times Union reported in "Invasives detected, boaters ticketed," Aug. 7, be an urgent warning to everyone who loves Lake George. Mandatory inspection and boat washing of all vessels into...
View ArticleIndependence Street fitting place for immigration protest
On Aug. 1, I joined a civil disobedience action in Washington that resulted in mass arrests. We sat down on the crosswalk, linked arms and blocked traffic on Independence Street. We were protesting...
View ArticleEditorial: A watchdog, or a lapdog?
THE ISSUE:A deal between the lieutenant governor and the head of a business lobbying group needn't be reported, a state panel says.THE STAKES:Why not err on the side of transparency? The problem isn't...
View ArticleBrodsky: Fiscal crisis for Albany's mayor
It turns out that Jerry Jennings' brains, charm and extensive political skills were not enough to save Albany from teetering on the brink of financial ruin. His legacy as mayor will be debated. But...
View ArticleBitner: Survey isn't at all friendly
Conde Nast, publishers of Traveler magazine, recently released a reader's survey of the unfriendliest cities. Albany ranked seventh in the United States and 13th in the world.That's right, in the...
View ArticleLetter: Summers isn't right for the Fed
Larry Summers' opposition to regulation of derivatives, as well as his support for the financial deregulation and complex financial instruments that led to the 2009 crisis, should disqualify him from...
View ArticleEditorial: A pension, politics mess
THE ISSUE:A key ally of Gov. Cuomo releases an audit quite critical of Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, and Mr. DiNapoli fires back.THE STAKES:Who's correct is the $159 billion question. Our headline last...
View ArticleLetter: Reduce paper use by the Legislature
After reading the New York Times article "Knocking down a paper mountain," Aug. 11, regarding a forthcoming public vote on reducing the amount of paper generated by the Legislature, I offer kudos to...
View ArticleLetter: Real immigration reform needed, wise
David McCumber's column ("Gillibrand rattles chain of command," Aug. 9) reminded me that if immigration reform is to pass, we can't rest.We need to keep up the pressure. I am inspired by Sen. Kirsten...
View ArticleEvents send mixed signals on workers' health benefits
The following is from a New York Times editiorial:It is hard to know whether to rejoice or lament two striking if somewhat conflicting messages last week about the costs of employer-sponsored health...
View ArticleSupport pension reform
Sometimes, something is worse than nothing. Such is the case with the remarkably tepid changes that have been made by the state to the woefully expensive mandatory arbitration process. There were high...
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