An endangered agency
THE ISSUE:The state Department of Environmental Conservation is short-handed.THE STAKES:This imperils the agency's mission to protect our air, water and land. As summer sets, we can't help but reflect...
View ArticleLetter: Teachers are in schools to teach
The juxtaposition of Tommy Carroll's commentary ("Teachers can't fix societal ills," Aug. 30) and Scott Waldman's column ("What is twerking? Bet your child knows," Aug. 30) made for an interesting...
View ArticlePage: Stories bring us babies
I like to hear a good yarn. And it's got to be told in a certain way. It can't be too self-referential because that's just either boasting or, worse, confession. It can't go on for too long, either,...
View ArticleLetter: Small investment with a big payoff
Thank you for printing "Earth nears 'tipping point,'" Sept. 3. In doing so, the Times Union is helping to break a long-standing taboo against reporting on human overpopulation. The article discusses...
View ArticleLetter: Liberals embrace a false narrative
A recent letter declared "those 'who have'" have become dangerous to "those who 'have not'" ("Haves becoming too dangerous," Sept. 3). Sadly, this line of thinking reflects a false narrative that...
View ArticleLetter: Protect children, not sex predators
Priest Gary J. Mercure has been accused of molesting one child several times in Vermont. He was convicted of molesting two children in Massachusetts. However, he is accused of molesting several...
View ArticleLetter: Retiree 'haves,' 'shouldn't haves'
In reading the article "Rich keep getting richer," Sept. 11, regarding the top 1 percent taking in a record share of income, I couldn't help but think about E.J. McMahon's interview on a radio program...
View ArticleNow, an EPA label tool for used car fuel efficiency
Most people are familiar with the window labels on new cars that give important information about fuel economy and greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. But most people buy used...
View ArticleEditorial: The Orwellian present
THE ISSUE:Ongoing revelations about the NSA show an agency probing deep into Americans' lives.THE STAKES:At what point have we crossed the line into Orwell's imagined future? In the mid-1990s, the...
View ArticleDowd: Obama's erudite style
WASHINGTON — On the most deadly day here since Sept. 11, 2001, with the capital reeling over the familiar scene of a mass shooting by a madman, the chief executive stepped to the microphones and...
View ArticleLetter: March to serfdom kicked off in 1913
The long-camouflaged road toward a dictatorial central government that has taken control over this nation was enhanced with the addition of the 17th Amendment in 1913. Upon ratification, the power of...
View ArticleLetter: Prime time to be start-up in N.Y.
As a graduate of the College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering, and CEO of CNSE's first student spin-off company, I want to congratulate Chairman Carl McCall, the SUNY Board of Trustees and...
View ArticleSmith: How farm aid is tied to food aid
Back in 1939, Mabel McFiggin of Rochester, an unemployed factory worker, became the first American to get food stamps. She used them to buy surplus butter, eggs and prunes, beneath a sign reading, "We...
View ArticleLetter: Forget Syria, tackle U.S. woes
All the experts have for decades shown their ignorance and stupidity — and completely lost their reasoning — in dealing with the Middle East. Years ago, our country's leaders should have stayed out of...
View ArticleLetter: Better protect forests from fires
In response to the recent forest fire in Yosemite National Park, it seems two out of three areas of investigation are nailed down. We know the culprit who started the fire, and we have a plan to...
View ArticleLetter: U.S., stay out of Syria's business
Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, now Syria — which country will be next? It is up to each country to decide how they want to live and to fight their own battles.These countries are none of our business; I do...
View ArticleLetter: Chemical weapon safety is crucial
I write as a concerned citizen trying to make sense out of a very complex situation and the possibility of more warfare.Our president indicates there is evidence that Syria used chemical weapons to...
View ArticleLetter: Aquarium would boost tourism
Each year, we take in a major tourist attraction. This year, we chose the National Aquarium in Baltimore.We did not go there to spend money on parking, the Hard Rock Cafe or the paddle boats or...
View ArticleLetter: Change schools' funding system
Yes, it is time to remove the burden of funding schools from the property owners ("Try a better tax solution," Sept. 8). It is time to think outside the box, as they say. The high property tax burden...
View ArticleLetter: UAlbany stadium a fitting tribute
What an impressive facility is the new University at Albany football stadium, Bob Ford Field. It is not only great for UAlbany but for the entire Capital Region sports community.From a spectator's...
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