About two dozen men and women fought through an early March snowstorm to get something that many people take for granted: medical care. They filed downstairs to the basement of Asbury First United Methodist Church in southeast Rochester, where the University of Rochester and church officials have set up a small health clinic. The examination […]
Tim Louis Macaluso
I was born and raised in the Rochester area, but I lived in California and Florida before returning home about 12 years ago. I'm a vegetarian and live with my husband and our three pugs. I cover education, health care, and local politics for City.
Posted inNews & Opinion
Pence drama illustrates core GOP problem
Blame the liberal media and dig in. That’s the basic strategy for many conservative politicians when the public spotlight gets too bright: stand firm and let Fox News and talk radio mop up and smooth things over. But that approach hasn’t worked for Indiana Governor Mike Pence after signing the controversial religious freedom law. Pence […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Cala vs. Cuomo on education
Governor Andrew Cuomo didn’t get everything he wanted in the state budget in terms of education. The state will develop yet another teacher evaluation system, and it will take four years for teachers to become eligible for tenure instead of three. But that’s quite different from Cuomo’s starting position. And the impressive pushback against Cuomo’s […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Vargas’s new budget mixes big ideas and some finger-crossing
Rochester schools Superintendent Bolgen Vargas presented an $800 million proposed budget for the 2015-2016 school year Monday night. Vargas told school board members that he could close a $40.5 million budget gap with few layoffs, while investing more than $25 million in a lengthy list of priorities. But all that depends heavily on what happens in Albany […]
Posted inSpecial Sections
Rochester clicks for young professionals
The Rochester region is home to about 20 colleges, universities, and technical schools, which is impressive for a mid-size metro. But despite those offerings, the area’s loss of young professionals continues to concern many business and community leaders in Upstate New York. A Brookings Institute report on education, which is based on data from 2007 […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Fewer students to transfer buses at transit center
In a strong response to the ongoing problem of youth disturbances at the new Regional Transit Center, the Regional Transit Service and the Rochester City School District will significantly reduce the number of students who will be able to stop downtown and transfer buses. Concerns about student and customer safety and customer satisfaction are cited […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Foreclosures continue to hurt Rochester neighborhoods
For some time now, government reports have painted a fairly upbeat picture about the winding down of the foreclosure crisis and the rebound of the real estate market. But that’s taken from a national overview. An analysis from Empire Justice Center, “Eye of the Storm: Why the Threat of Foreclosure Damage Continues,” gives a sobering […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Education reforms take a bite out of Cuomo’s approval rating
Resistance to Governor Andrew Cuomo’s education reform agenda seems to be gaining steam. Cuomo has weathered several controversies, and though he won re-election, it wasn’t an overwhelming victory. And frankly, some of his statements about public schools and his relentless attacks on the teachers unions haven’t made a lot of sense politically or in terms […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Universal health care for ailing New York
It wouldn’t take much to convince most New Yorkers — both employees and employers — that they will pay substantially more for health care coverage in 2019 than they do today. But what would it take to convince them that the state could save $45 billion annually in health care costs, while providing all New […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
[UPDATED] Vargas needs to build credibility before asking for a contract extension
Updated at 2:05 p.m.; 3/17/15: A statement from Vargas’s attorney follows this blog post. Original post: If it’s true, it’s probably one of the strangest things to happen at the Rochester City School District. The Democrat and Chronicle’s Justin Murphy reported yesterday that three anonymous sources told him that Superintendent Bolgen Vargas offered to drop […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
U of Oklahoma’s stark reminder
Imagine you’re the parent of a college-age child. Your son or daughter managed to get accepted into a respectable school and you’ve pulled together enough money to help pay for it. You’re a proud parent, thinking that years of nurturing and guidance paid off. Then you turn on the television only to find an image […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Study: Universal health care would save billions annually
A study released today says that New York would save $45 billion annually by creating a statewide universal health plan. The study was conducted by the University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s Economics Department, and focuses specifically on a bill proposed by state Assembly member Richard Gottfried. Assembly members Harry Bronson and David Gantt are local co-sponsors […]
