Our elections have become a huge industry. Obviously, the more money — and it’s now in the billions of dollars — needed to fund the system, the more important money will become in winning. This means that politicians will always be asking for money. As Kurt Vonnegut said, “In this […]
Publisher’s Corner
The whole thing makes me queasy
Donald Trump suggests that the system is “rigged.” He should know — he’s been playing the system for years as giant real estate developers are known to do. Let’s stop for a moment and examine whether New York’s political system is rigged. It is, of course, and I can prove […]
Sorting out the internal intrigue
There’s a lot of internal intrigue in state government. This column will be an attempt to bring some of that intrigue into focus. What we do know is that Andrew Cuomo is standing in the middle of a circle surrounded by former and possibly current friends who have been […]
The doctor is in
Every once in a while I amuse myself with an “Ask the Doctor” column. I mean, if medical doctors can have these columns to help educate the public, why can’t this Ph.D. full professor? So here goes: Dear Doctor, I read in the paper that our state legislators […]
Democrats need to work on erecting a big tent
Right now, the presidential election looks like it is up in the air. So many of my friends are mystified at how well Donald Trump is doing in the polls. Some are talking about moving to Canada if he wins. Others are saying this is the beginning of a […]
The sheen has been washed from Trump’s apple
Does Hillary have flaws? You bet. The fact that the Clintons have made themselves multi-multi-millionaires by speaking to some savory — and some unsavory — groups can’t be disputed. Hillary, knowing that she was running for president, spoke to the very bankers who many people thought should have been […]
We have reached the tipping point
Recent events in the United States have gotten us all to thinking about the important issue of race relations. Ever since the first amphibians crawled out of the muck and into their individual caves, people have fallen victim to the concept of “us vs. them.” The idea that “They’re […]
Like it or not, pot is here to stay
The legalization of marijuana is inevitable. The most we can hope for is that people are educated about the potential downsides of the so-called weed. We can hope that pot smoking will not give rise to the kind of alcohol fueled traffic fatalities we see now. Of course, we […]