Last week, frost hit Upstate New York after buds sprouted on the trees. Some fruit farmers set out smudge pots and wind machines to try and prevent the frost from settling on the plants. Luckily, temperatures didn’t get that low and only remained just...

There have been quite a few newsworthy items coming out of Albany in recent weeks. I want to share a few of them with you in this column pertaining to health services funding, insurance fraud, and tourism. Increased Funding for Developmentally Disabled There...

The Assembly passed an early voting bill last week. I voted against this measure. At a time when localities are stretched to the max, this would create another unfunded mandate and change our current system when it doesn’t need to be changed. Election...

Small-business owners throughout New York State recently made their way to Albany. Chief among their concerns again this year pertained to overreaching regulations and paperwork mandates, which add to the overall cost of doing business. More than 100...

It was recently reported that two Albany lawmakers from Downstate were involved in corruption and bribery. One lawmaker, Assemblyman Eric Stevenson, is accused of accepting more than $22,000 in bribes from four adult daycare centers, with the understanding...

We hear about cases on the news, and we see mug shots of those who are charged or convicted of some heinous child sex abuse act. There is no excuse for these perpetrators, and it sickens the majority of us who have to read these stories. The good thing...

Last week, I talked about the State Budget in this column, and this week, I wanted to expand on some elements in the budget. We passed a $141.2 billion spending plan before the April 1 deadline but it wasn’t without its problems. One of the biggest...

The 2013-14 New York State budget passed with total spending at $141.2 billion. Overall, we missed our opportunity to create a better state and left things status quo. We missed the chance to make our state friendlier to all businesses and provide real...

I recently joined several local highway officials in Albany to advocate for an increase in state aid for local roads and bridges. With budget negotiations underway, we cannot shortchange our localities and provide them with funding that is inadequate...

Public financing of political campaigns is on the Governor’s agenda this year. Cuomo said in his State of the State address in January, the state should mimic what New York City has done and publicly fund campaigns. In this column, I want to outline...

On February 28 there was a gun rally in Albany. There was an estimated 10,000 people who attended from across the state. The rally represented not only those advocating for 2nd Amendment rights but those fighting for democracy. There were thousands of...

The Governor has set forth his Economic Development plan in his proposed 2013 budget. While there are some ideas that I can support, overall our state would benefit from policies that are fair to all businesses. We should focus on cutting red tape and...

The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is on its way to becoming policy. On June 28, 2012 the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that “individual mandate was a valid exercise of Congress’ ability to levy taxes.” While I oppose the very idea of requiring citizens...

This week, I wanted to share with you my thoughts on a few different items of interest happening in Albany. Energy Tax continues The 2009 budget contained a new tax for utilities. This, in turn, was, unfortunately, passed down to ratepayers. The...

The Governor proposed his executive budget on Jan. 22. Overall, it was a status quo budget that did not contain a lot of surprises. I was pleased to see more state aid provided to schools. However, I want to ensure that aid goes to schools that need it...

Parkinson's Disease is a chronic, degenerative neurological disorder that affects one in 100 people over age 60. While the average age at onset is 60, people have been diagnosed as young as 18. There is no objective test, or biomarker, for Parkinson's...

The New York state Health Commissioner recently urged residents impacted by Hurricane Sandy to be aware that carbon monoxide (CO) can result from the improper use of alternate power sources. Poisonings from CO are often caused by faulty furnaces, improperly...