Category: News and Opinion

I haven't published a column on Room Eight New York Politics for about six weeks now. Truth be told, I am politically depressed: that's all. Hopefully I'll be back in swing soon enough; since I am still intent on regularly contributing to this political-writers colony. At least that's where my head is in general, but my heart's in a different place right now, so I am reading poetry and literature to cover up the disappointment that is today's political landscape (local, national and international).

I try not to just cite articles, but here's one people in NY really ought to read. It is a commentary by Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie in a local newspaper. "Together we must face a fiscal deficit of $844 million over the next two years. Every possible solution is on the table for consideration. This includes improving our current tax system so that everyone pays their fair share."

To see who isn't paying their fair share according to the Governor, read the article.

One big difference between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his predecessor David Paterson boils down to one simply premise.

The legislature is afraid of Cuomo, and sadly they never respected Paterson. (many of Paterson’s failures were self-inflicted, some were not)

Let's say the New York State legislature is representative of what New Yorkers really are, as opposed to what they would like to think or tell others they are. Then which team really represents New York? I'd like to nominate either the Isaiah Thomas Knicks or the Mets.

I know that a lot of my readers have expressed an interest in seeing me do more pieces about New York political history, as well as more of my own personal political war stories.

I will try to accommodate these requests when appropriate, but meanwhile, here's the first few parts of a series on the post-war reform movement as lived and experienced by the co-author of the sensational new book, “Tales From the Sausage Factory.“

Yes it’s a budget that would cut year to year spending for the first time in a long time.

Yes it’s a budget that would cut projected spending on major issues like education and health care.

But isn’t it a bit refreshing to have a governor that is at least trying to finally tackle the problem rather than simply punt it to the future with lip service, or turn to the tax and spend policies of the past.

Goldwater gives Nixon the bad news.

This morning I was greeted with an article in City Hall News expressing “surprise” that the State Senate’s “Independent” Democratic Conference (aka