Michael Brannigan: Challenge business of ethics
Ethics here, ethics there, ethics nearly everywhere. Welcome to the world of hyphenated ethics: business-ethics, medical, environmental, media, sports, advertising, legal, even military-ethics. With...
View ArticleEditorial: Albany wayback machine
THE ISSUE:A thoughtful proposal to update and streamline the Albany County charter is on the table.THE STAKES:Politics and individuals' self interest threaten to reverse some of its strong points....
View ArticleAngelou's rich legacy will stay with us all
The following appeared in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial:In life, poet and essayist Maya Angelou inspired her readers to embrace optimism in the face of hardship. In death, she will be remembered...
View ArticleCyberbulling law should be upheld
Children have as much of a right to be free from emotional harm as they do from physical harm. Bullies have moved from the playground to cyberspace. They have moved from intimidating their victims...
View ArticleRex Smith: Animal tales draw notice, but why?
Humans have always struggled to figure out how to share the planet with other animals. Some of them we bond with. Others we eat. Most of them we ignore, although there are some creatures that we're...
View ArticleNotable Quotes Of The Week
"Her poetry had a spiritual power and she was always about telling the truth. That sometimes got her into trouble, but she never gave in to fear."—Mars Hill, of Albany, on Maya Angelou, who died...
View ArticleEditorials: Long story short
State Legislature needs to address heroin surgeA 25-bill package introduced by the state Senate Majority Coalition offers an opportunity for New York to ramp up its battle against the surge in heroin...
View ArticleEditorial: A case of judicial neglect
THE ISSUE:A bill to help ease caseloads in Family Court stalls in the Legislature.THE STAKES:Will New Yorkers wait in line for justice just so lawmakers can horse trade? Family Court is the first...
View ArticlePartnership creates triumvirate of victory
In the spring of 1864, President Abraham Lincoln feared that three years of costly defeats on the battlefield would prove too much for the North. There had been victories in the year that had passed,...
View ArticleCasey Seiler: Why the LCA Show matters
There wasn't much to laugh about on March 12, 1942, when the annual Legislative Correspondents Show was held at Albany's Ten Eyck Hotel.The four months since the attack on Pearl Harbor had brought...
View ArticleKathleen Parker: Find wiggle room in children's menus
Washington To hear tell, the mean ol' GOP is waging war on Michelle Obama and, brace yourself, America's children.Got it?The newest war on women/children relates to the first lady's well-intentioned...
View ArticleThomas Friedman: Real-world choices for Obama, U.S.
Sulaimanya, Iraq When President Barack Obama sits down to write his foreign-policy memoir, he may be tempted to use as his book title the four words he reportedly uses privately to summarize the Obama...
View ArticleMaureen Dowd: Long transition to political clout
Washington As I walk up to Bobby Van's Steakhouse to meet Gerry Adams, I'm surprised to see him sitting alone outside. Wearing a dark three-piece tweed suit with a green ribbon on the lapel, the...
View ArticleEditorial: Let the minors debate, too
THE ISSUE:There's talk of not letting a third-party candidate into gubernatorial debates.THE STAKES:If a party has earned a permanent ballot spot, voters should have a chance to hear its candidate's...
View ArticleNot even the president can predict 2016 military needs
The following appeared in a Chicago Tribune editorial:President Barack Obama last week charted a vision for protecting America that relies less on military power and more on training foreign security...
View ArticleMake mail Rx delivery optional
If you live in a city, chances are you know how frustrating it can be to receive a package in the mail. The redelivery notice asks you to be home when you're supposed to be at work. A birthday gift...
View ArticleCharles Krauthammer: Obama's speech just empty
WASHINGTON — It is fitting that the day before President Barack Obama gives his grand West Point address defending the wisdom of his foreign policy, his government should be urging Americans to...
View ArticleLet towns, cities decide on fracking
Tuesday, the New York State Court of Appeals will hear arguments in a case that poses a simple question: Can cities and towns in the Empire State fend off potentially devastating environmental and...
View ArticleFirst lady right to deride those who weaken school lunch
The following appeared in a Baltimore Sun editorial:First ladies aren't normally given to sharp rebukes of Congress, but we can't blame Michelle Obama for being a bit peeved at the efforts of some on...
View ArticleAhead: merging agencies?
THE ISSUE:The state plans to put some of its transportation entities under a single roof.THE STAKES:Why just live together? Perhaps something more serious is in order. Putting the state Department of...
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