“Saddened,” “upset” and “disappointed” were among the many dispirited words people used to describe Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s decision to veto a bill that would … more

New York state government has a well-deserved reputation for ineffectiveness. Ask most New Yorkers what one word best describes Albany, and the most common response would be “dysfunctional.” That’s the term that New York University’s Brennan Center for Justice used in a study in 2004, in its follow-up in 2006 and in its 2008 update, “Still Broken.” more

Kevin Dugan, a 12th grader from East Rockaway High School, has been chosen to attend this year’s Students Inside Albany program sponsored by the League of Women Voters of New York State Education Foundation, Inc. more

It is time for leaders to take strong, firm stances. That goes for lawmakers in Washington and Albany, our county, town and village representatives and the elected members of our own boards of education. more

My last column, “Stop playing games with the budget deficit” (Feb. 3) was written one week before New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued his analysis of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget draft. The irrationality I outlined fell short of anticipating the following mea-culpa expressed in the comptroller’s analysis. “The SFY 2010-2011 enacted budget relied on $16.7 billion in non-recurring or temporary budget resources; and overly optimistic tax revenue projections, causing a dramatically worsened state structural deficit.” How dramatic? These tenuous entries constituted 30 percent of all the monies in the state’s operating fund. more

On Election Day, angry voters all over the country focused their attention on Congress, deficits, the Obama health care plan, taxes and numerous other grievances. Incumbent politicians got the brunt … more

With the inauguration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday, New York state officially ended its brief but disastrous Spitzer era. Eliot Spitzer, the former attorney general, was elected governor in 2006 … more

With the inauguration of Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Saturday, New York state officially ended its brief but disastrous Spitzer era. Eliot Spitzer, the former attorney general, was elected governor in 2006 in a landslide and then entered office not to make friends in Albany, not even to govern, but to rule the land. He crashed and burned in one of the country’s most notorious sex scandals, after which he resigned and Lt. Gov. David Paterson assumed the state’s reins. more

The Herald sat down with newly-elected NYS Assemblymen Brian Curran and Edward Ra. more

The anticipated nationwide wave to oust incumbents didn’t make it all the way to the South Shore this Election Day, as most current office holders — both Democrats and Republicans — retained … more