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Politics and GovernmentSee also: Election 2012
(05/24/12) New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli says the state's pension fund has "successfully weathered" another economic storm. He reports returns are the highest since global market meltdown of 2008. In Albany, Karen DeWitt has the details. more
(05/24/12) The question of increasing the state's minimum wage remains controversial in the legislature. While the Assembly Speaker is persevering, Governor Cuomo and Senate Republicans are staying negative about the bill's chance of success. In Albany, Karen DeWitt has more. more
Maybe we should turn our eye toward diversification, and that would certainly be in the area of tourism...
(05/23/12) Gov. Cuomo's proposal to expand gambling in New York gave one rural St. Lawrence County leader an idea.
"I was thinking when I read the governor's proposal to put seven casinos in New York State, I thought, why not put one in the northern tier? Maybe we could get one up here." Brasher Town Supervisor James Dawson told town board members last week a casino would be a great way to attract visitors to the region...and to pump up St. Lawrence County's flagging economy. The 900 acres Dawson has in mind has already been considered for a racetrack and entertainment complex. That development failed, and the land ended up in bankruptcy court. Dawson told Nora Flaherty a casino there could anchor a host of spin-off development. more
Who should pay to operate Great Sacandage Reservoir and its massive dam? Photo: HRBRRD
(05/23/12) A new ruling by a state Supreme Court could force five counties in the North Country and the Hudson Valley to pay millions of dollars a year to help fund dam operations in the southern Adirondacks. The decision found that it is reasonable for counties to be charged for the benefits they receive in the form of flood protection from dams located on Great Sacandaga and Indian Lake.
As Brian Mann reports, county leaders in the North Country say footing the bill for dam operations would add new pressure on taxpayers at a time when budgets are already tight. more adirondacks ·
dams ·
economy ·
floods ·
great sacandaga reservoir ·
outdoor recreation ·
politics ·
power
F-35A fighters. Photo: USAF
(05/23/12) Host intro: The Vermont Air National Guard is considering whether to make Burlington International Airport home to a fleet of new F-35 fighter jets. Communities around the airport debated the jets' presence at a public hearing last week. The Environmental Impact statement put out by the Air Force says that the new jets will bring higher noise levels to neighborhoods surrounding the airport.
On Monday night, South Burlington's City Council voted 4 - 1 to oppose the plan. Sarah Harris has more. more
A slow day at Saratoga Racetrack. Photo: Brian Mann
(05/23/12) Governor Cuomo has taken the reins of the troubled New York Racing Association Board. As Karen DeWitt reports, the governor is saying he needs to "restore the public trust" in a rapidly changing, and expanding, gaming industry. more
It'll [help] create an economic climate where we can begin to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps.
(05/22/12) A troubled parcel of more than 900 acres of land in Brasher and Norfolk may one day be a casino. At least, that's what Brasher Town Supervisor James Dawson is proposing. Dawson told town board members last week a casino would be a great way to attract visitors to the region...and to pump up St. Lawrence County's flagging economy.
Governor Andrew Cuomo has proposed a constitutional amendment to create seven commercial casinos across the state. Brasher is only a few miles from the Akwesasne Mohawk casino near Massena, and Dawson says two casinos in the area could make it a destination for Canadian tourists. more
Failure to provide adequate resources is neither prudent nor acceptable
(05/22/12) The Potsdam Village Board opened a public discussion on the size of the police force last night.
Two positions have remained unfilled since one sergeant resigned last year, and another was promoted to chief. That's prompted questions about how big a police force the village needs. more
(05/22/12) Opposition is growing in the legislature to Governor Cuomo's top end-of-session priority. The governor would like to enact a new agency to curb abuse of people with mental and physical disabilities at state-run centers. Opponents, though, say the proposed new entity does not go far enough. In Albany, Karen DeWitt has the details on the controversy. more
It’s my belief that the cost of the Potsdam village police force... is the major financial issue facing the village.
(05/21/12) Tonight the Potsdam Village Board will hold a public discussion on the size of the village Police Department. Potsdam has only cut its the department by one position, since former Sergeant Kevin Bates took over as Chief of Police, but that cut has sparked serious discussion about the future of the force.
As Tasha Haverty reports, this evening's session will help determine whether the village will restore the position, or take the opportunity to downsize and save money. more
 NEW: See the latest 20 Political News stories on the mapBlog posts tagged with "politics"If businesses don't pay employees a living wage, what happens?As the minimum wage debate unfolds in Albany, I stumbled across two arguments that seemed to get at the heart of the...[more] The heavy lift for journalists in 2012Regular readers of the In Box know that I have plenty of appetite for — and fascination with — horse race...[more] The politics of a North Country bridgeOver the weekend, people gathered from New York and Vermont to celebrate the completion of the new Lake Champlain...[more] The chink in the Democrats' armorI've reported here repeatedly that the Democratic Party is riding a long-term wave of demographic and cultural...[more] Fair or not, the next president will own the recoveryOne of the basic rules in American politics is that life just ain't fair. Elected officials get credit for...[more] Morning Read: 24 months to fix state education mandates?The Plattsburgh Press-Republican has a fascinating story in this morning's paper, pointing to the fact that...[more] Did the property tax cap work in yesterday's school vote?The New York State School Board Association just issued a press release reporting that roughly 93% of the school...[more] The invisible science of our futureOf all the aspects of America's conservative culture that make me anxious, the most troubling is the fierce...[more] Owens spokesman: private groups also funded trips to Canada, IsraelLast week, Rep. Bill Owens drew fire for a trip he took in December 2011 to Taiwan with his wife that was paid for by a...[more] Raw audio of Rep. Bill Owens talking about $22,000 Taiwan tripRep. Bill Owens spoke with me at length a few minutes ago about his decision to accept a trip to Taiwan paid for by a...[more] Campaign finances in your home town, state and countryHere's a link to a website that gives you the kind of detail shown in the sample below (for my district) on...[more] Wall Street in CantonThis morning, on desks and tables in classrooms across the St. Lawrence University campus, strips of paper were placed...[more]  Politics
May 24, 2012 — Mitt Romney has introduced his plan for overhauling education. At a speech to a Hispanic small business group Wednesday, the Republican presidential candidate outlined a blueprint that expands school choice for disabled and disadvantaged students, requires schools to provide regular reports on student progress and returns student loans to the private sector.
May 24, 2012 — Long before Obama gave a commencement speech to Air Force cadets Wednesday, his campaign was focusing attention on his record with military families and veterans — a key voting group that could make the difference in swing states like Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.
May 23, 2012 — In the past week, President Obama and House Speaker John Boehner have begun a new round of sparring over the U.S. debt ceiling. It's part of a number of problems involving debt, taxes and spending that are all slated to come to a head in early 2013. And solutions aren't likely before Election Day.
May 23, 2012 — Declaring that a "national emergency" exists in public education, presumptive Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney shifted from his usual economic message to outline his education platform during a speech to a Latino business group Wednesday.
May 23, 2012 — Richard Grenell, who resigned after some conservatives criticized Mitt Romney for hiring an openly gay adviser who favors same-sex marriage, said Wednesday that the issue should not determine how most Americans vote.
Voter ResourcesProject Sunlight: Track lobbying activities, member item spending and other legislation in New York. An initiative of the NYS Office of the Attorney General. League of Women Voters DemocracyNet: Great one-stop election resource. NYS Board of Elections Campaign Finance Database: Enter the last name of any candidate in New York to find out where the money comes from and where it's going. Open Secrets:
Campaign finance information broken down by industry, region,
etc., for mostly federal politicans. An excellent starting
point for following Special Reports  Audio Slideshow:Adirondack teens talk democracy Face of Democracy is a national program that gives students an inside view of the democratic process by sending out to polling places to interview and photograph voters and officials. Sue Halpern, project organizer, talks with Brian Mann  Cartoon Special:Editorial cartoonist Mark Wilson Covers the NYS Party Conventions Mark Wilson, aka Marquil, is a political cartoonist covering the 2006 New York State party conventions for NCPR. His sketches and caricatures bring the arcana of state politics to life. Adirondack News Fund Founding Supporters: Paul Smith's College, The College of the Adirondacks · Wildlife Conservation Society · Adirondack Medical Center Foundation · Adirondack Museum · Niagara Mohawk Foundation · Schumann Foundation · John A. Sellon Charitable Trust · several anonymous individual donors |
