Our nation’s birthday is upon us, and everyone is ready to celebrate with dazzling pyrotechnics. Although they will be missed once again at Jones Beach this year, July Fourth celebrants have plenty of places to see fireworks and share in the spirit of Independence Day, extending through next week. more

In his State of the State address, Gov. Andrew Cuomo authorized two committees, one reviewing Medicaid spending; the second, needed relief from costly and burdensome state mandates. more

Shakespeare said that “all the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players.” Easy for him to say. Actually, everything was easy for him to say. more

State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos says he is optimistic that despite the difficult choices they face, this is the year when Albany lawmakers will finally make the structural changes to the state budget needed to rein in spending. more

I have to admit, I’m having a problem understanding how, in just 33 working days, Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s Medicaid Redesign Team was able to recommend 79 cost cutting measures to save $2.3 billion in the upcoming budget. I’ll address this concern from three viewpoints. 
 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

A group of local dentists volunteered last week to help get kids on their way to building healthy teeth.  Seventy-five dentists from the Nassau County Dental Society, with the help of … more

Two revelations of large-scale animal neglect earlier this month in Rockville Centre were shocking. While it was hard to believe that human beings could allow animals in their care to suffer the utmost cruelty and squalor, it was almost impossible to understand why neighbors were unaware that dozens of dogs and cats were starving to death mere yards away. more

In one of its first orders of business in the new legislative session, the State Senate passed the Job Creation and Taxpayer Protection Act of 2011 on Jan. 19. Supporters of the three-part plan say it will encourage the creation of new private-sector jobs with a tax credit, ensure fiscal responsibility with the enactment of a 2 percent state spending cap and require a two-thirds “super-majority” vote to increase taxes if the Assembly, and then voters, approve a constitutional amendment. more

In 2009, long-time friends, Bill Hostetter and Kevin Donald, decided to change careers and become business partners. Donald had been in advertising and Hostetter, in publishing. They purchased an existing “green” dry cleaner in Long Beach, where they both reside, and opened Go Green Dry Cleaners. more