Governor Andrew Cuomoโs 2014-15 budget proposal includes some tax cuts for businesses and New York homeowners, but those measures come at the expense of other important programs, says a group of local union leaders, community activists, and faith leaders. The local coalition is part of a statewide group thatโs pushing back against Cuomoโs proposed tax […]
Governor Andrew Cuomo
START-UP NY: Big boost or big giveaway?
New York has a problem. The state’s public and private universities produce well-educated students and foster plenty of technological innovation, but out-of-state companies are often the ones to benefit. It’s a trend that state government and business leaders have tried, with limited success, to reverse for years. But some elected leaders and economic development officials […]
Vacancies rob voters
The sign still hangs above Bill Reilich’s former State Assembly office on West Ridge Road. But the lights are off and calls won’t be answered. Reilich, a Republican, resigned his Assembly seat after winning the race for Greece town supervisor last year. The seat will stay vacant until Governor Andrew Cuomo calls a special election […]
Young offenders, adult prisons
The Raise the Age movement seeks to get youth ages 16 and 17 out of the adult criminal justice system.
Cuomo presents his 2014-15 budget
Governor Andrew Cuomo is sticking to his claim that if the state continues to hold down spending increases, the budget will have a $2 billion surplus by the 2016-17 budget year. And during his budget address this afternoon, Cuomo once again said that the surplus will enable a suite of tax cuts for businesses as […]
Upstate, Cuomo, and the state of our state
We’ve turned things around in New York State! We stopped talking and started doing! In three years (coincidently, the Andrew Cuomo years) we’ve reversed decades of decline and made dramatic and undeniable progress! And the progress is not just in the numbers! We can feel it in every region in our state! We have much […]
Cuomo’s speech gets a B- on education piece
Governor Andrew Cuomo made some encouraging comments about education in his State of the State speech yesterday, but there are also some glaring concerns. The centerpiece of the governorโs education proposals for 2014 is a $2 billion referendum that would go mainly toward a major upgrade of school technology: purchasing laptops, tablets, and wireless services. […]
Cuomo lays out his 2014 agenda
During his State of the State address this afternoon, Governor Andrew Cuomo spelled out his 2014 initiatives. But few, if any, of the big ticket items came as a surprise. He announced a plan to allow 20 hospitals to prescribe marijuana as treatment for some serious ailments, but that had already been leaked to the […]
NY’s tough call on casinos
This is the beginning of City’s general-election coverage. The coverage continues in the October 16 and October 23 issues. We’ll look at the elections in Greece, Irondequoit, Monroe County, and the City of Rochester, and have special coverage of the Green Party of Monroe County. The general election is Tuesday, November 5. Mayor Tom Richards […]
Women’s Equality Act protects abortion rights, doesn’t expand them
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s proposed Women’s Equality Act has come under fire because of its language about abortion. Right now, abortion is regulated through the state’s penal law. Cuomo says his legislation would simply write into law the rights guaranteed under the Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision and remove regulation of abortions from the penal […]
Seneca settlement means no private casino for Rochester
If the Rochester area gets a casino, it’ll be operated by the Seneca Nation. Governor Andrew Cuomo has submitted a bill to the Legislature that would allow privately-run casinos in New York. His law would establish six districts across upstate with one casino allowed per district, though only three privately run casinos would be bid […]
Power play
The powers that be want to close a nuclear plant that provides electricity to downstate, but upstate ratepayers shouldn’t be on the hook for that decision, State Senator Ted O’Brien says. | Federal licenses for Indian Point Energy Center’s two operating reactors expire soon: one at the end of September, the other in 2015. And […]






