Commentary & Opinion

When Tiger Woods won the Masters last weekend, it was a moment many thought would never happen again.

Every decision about our lives that we cede to the government has significant ramifications in the future.

Have you seen the pictures of the flooding in the city of Shiraz in Iran? I spent two years living in Shiraz, in the middle of the Iranian desert. Shiraz is near the ancient capital of Persepolis, its Greek name – the Iranians call it Takht-e-Jamshid, or the thrown of Jamshid. It was the winter capital of the legendary kings of Persia: Cyrus and Darius. It was the winter capital because it was warm, much warmer than their summer capital. My future wife was stationed in Hamadan, which the ancient kings used as their summer capital because it was cool. I visited her there and I can testify to the temperature difference.

The last time I looked, the list of Democratic Party presidential candidates had grown to 18, reminding us of the GOP free-for-all with 17 candidates in 2016.

After the frenzied fight over New York’s $175 billion budget, it’s not surprising to learn that special interests spent astronomically to influence policy in New York.  Last week, the public got to see just how much gets spent to influence government in New York. 

We often use the tool at hand for whatever we’re trying to do. Got aspirin or alcohol?
Drink it down ‘cause everything feels like a pain. Got a wrench? Everything looks like a pipe. Got a hammer and everything looks like a nail. Pete Seeger sang If I Had a Hammer he’d have used it to hammer out justice. It’s a wonderful song but it seems like the wrong tool.

New York state has failed us. By refusing to confront the climate crisis in a sweeping, fundamental way in the state budget, our public servants have abandoned us. They may trumpet the victory of the plastic bag ban and congestion-pricing (a good law, but one that merely addresses a series of blocks in Manhattan) and while this legislation was long in the making and our legislators are to be commended for it, it is middling in comparison to our need.

In the 1970s, scientists at major oil companies identified a growing threat – that the burning of oil, coal and gas was contributing to a rapid warming of the planet and that left unaddressed, the existence of civilization was at risk.

Interest rates are entering into what is known as inversion territory which means long term rates are lower than short rates.  This event has been a precursor to prior recessions and many economists see this as one of the key indicators.  This could very well begin to take shape in 2020 and have a dramatic impact on the Presidential Election. 

The transportation debate in Massachusetts has been locked in a battle of false choices for far too long. Failure to recognize this has left us a transportation system built in the 1970s, to serve the Massachusetts of the 80s, burdened by debt from the 90s, unable to help us grow in this century. Here is one proposal for moving forward.

If the Democrats get their way, and nearly every aspect of life in America is controlled or appropriated in one form or another by the federal government, how can they be so sure the person or people in charge of that appropriation is someone they will like?

Two statutes add to the many issues that complicate the status of Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Teachers play important roles in a child’s life. From teachers, students learn how to write their first sentences — or how to master long division, or write up a science lab. From the moment students enter the classroom, to the day they walk across the stage to accept their diploma, educators help provide them with the skills they need for success.

A lot happened in this year’s new state budget agreement – from increased spending to the establishment of a commission to develop a voluntary system of public financing for elections.  Many of these decisions were consequential, but one will be noticed by all New Yorkers – a ban on the use of plastic shopping bags.  The ban goes into effect in one year.

Mr. Trump announced that he was revoking sanctions that the Treasury Department was imposing on North Korea.  This is really confusing because the Treasury Department had not announced them before Mr. Trump revoked them.  It also appears that it was a surprise to the Treasury Department, including the Secretary as the revocation had not been discussed with them before it was announced. 

The recent Varsity Blues scandal was shocking news to some. But for many of us who work on social justice issues, it was a confirmation of our observations about the benefits of wealth which offer young people advantages from an early age. For too long, school districts that primarily serve low-income students and students of color have been underserved and underfunded. The students who attend these schools aren’t given the same access to resources and opportunities as their more affluent peers at every age and every stage.

In the thank goodness for small favors category, Gov. Andrew Cuomo has removed marijuana legalization from his budget proposal.  This will allow the legislature and the public to have a more considered evaluation of the issue.

Mueller’s inability to find enough evidence to charge Trump or his staff with collusion or conspiracy doesn’t mean they’re innocent or can’t be charged in the future. Innocence is different from the sufficiency of evidence. The inference from their contacts and transactions with Russia remains. Guilty people and criminal organizations sometimes beat charges.

Last week, the debate came to a head over whether New York should create a voluntary system of public financing of elections.  The state Senate, which appears to be a supporter, held a public hearing to gather testimony on the governor’s proposed plan. 

On the tariff question, the Wall Street Journal recently concluded, “Government can always help a politically connected few at the expense of the many.  But on every other measure the steel tariffs have been a bust.”  This concluded an analysis of the impact tariffs had on deficits, steel pricing in the US, and wages in the US steel industry. 

I am going to buck the trend of the latest national discourse, especially that which is coming from the Democratic candidates announcing for President.

It is painful to see the forces of hate killing men, women and children on many continents and here in many states, in schools and public places, taking apart the work of what we have been honoring as the greatest American generation who spilt their blood for the America they loved. It is painful and frightening to see the effort of the alt-Wrong to rip apart the free world that this country took the lead in creating. It’s painful to see terrorists crediting an American president as their inspiration for murder.

Last week was Sunshine Week; an annual celebration of the benefits of open government and discussion about ways to safeguard and expand upon current transparency laws.  If the success of a representative democracy hinges on the informed consent of the governed, it is critical that the public know as much as possible about the information used and the processes by which its representatives spend tax dollars, act on policy recommendations and administer the laws.