If I could have one wish granted in the New Year, it would be for a return of respect and bipartisanship in Albany to ensure that state government serves the common good of all New Yorkers — both upstate and downstate. This was my last statement as an elected official. It is not made out of ...

Many wonder why it can take so long to get things through courts. That’s a good question, and the answer can be short. It’s also one that we’ll leave for another day. Yet if you ever wanted proof that when they really want to, courts really can move fast, have a look at what has ...

I hope that local school boards, administrators and the public will come to see that Its time for many Chautauqua County schools to consider mergers. As the county population dwindles so do school enrollments with 13 districts now having enrollments under 1,000 students each. We are doing ...

Does anyone make New Year’s resolutions anymore? Most people I talk to don’t bother. Maybe we finally realized that resolutions were merely words… words without action plans. I think I must have spent 40 years making resolutions about weight loss. Many of those Januarys, I actually ...

It came late in the day. As a matter of fact, it came just a few hours before midnight. But, last week, the House of Representatives acted...avoiding a federal government shutdown. The last-minute vote wasn’t a total surprise, since tough votes are often not taken until deadlines are ...

What is the government for? Our government of the people, by the people and for the people, was started to serve the people. The preamble to the Constitution. “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide ...