Everyone agrees that there is a massive lack of bipartisanship in today’s political arena. Washington, D.C., is the poster child for warfare between Democrats and Republicans. Which is why my recent trip to Albany was a throwback to times gone by. I refer specifically to an event known as the Pilots Dinner. more

Recently I had the opportunity to take part in a forum on President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Four Freedoms, hosted by Cornell University’s Institute of Politics and Global Affairs, which is directed by former U.S. Rep. Steve Israel. more

Poll after poll shows that most Americans believe the United States is more divided than usual. With many contentious issues appearing to lack compromises, constructive policies can emerge, but zealots on either side must have no greater influence in the debate, and solutions must be based not on either side’s so-called “facts,” but rather on the truth. more

Our elected officials resist finding common ground, and prefer vilifying opponents instead of seeking compromise. Consequently, many New York voters have abandoned both parties, declaring a pox on the houses of both Democrats and Republicans. more

After months of contentious budget negotiations, the State Legislature and Gov. Kathy Hochul recently agreed to a historic $237 billion state spending plan. more

Now that the Ukrainian military aid bill has been passed, we have an opportunity to assess the developing conflict and offer suggestions. more

An aphorism often attributed to Mark Twain states that “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” Readers of a certain age will, as I do, recall the upheavals of the 1960s and early ’70s. Recent events set me musing about the similarities and differences between today’s “student protests” and those of yesteryear. more

New York’s budget-making is a lot like taking one step forward and then one step backward: In the end, we haven’t gone anywhere. more

So how did we get to this point? This isn’t an exercise in placing blame. It would be impossible to assign blame when the system that allowed this situation to develop has been in place for generations. But to find solutions, we need to understand how we got here. more

One hundred years have now passed since the original Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced on the federal level. On Nov. 5, we New Yorkers will decide whether to modernize our own state Constitution. Currently, that Constitution protects only against racial and religious discrimination. It does not prohibit discrimination against groups that have been historically targeted, including those with disabilities, LGBTQ people, women and immigrants. This measure lands on the ballot after legislation to push it forward passed both houses of the State Legislature in two successive terms. more