New York Daily News - Ideas & Opinions - Bill Hammond: Let’s hear it for Albany dysfunction
ALBANY - State lawmakers could end their session this week in one of two ways:
They could negotiate compromises in a spirit of bipartisan cooperation, pass a flurry of legislation and pat themselves on the back for a job well […]

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MEMO TO ALBANY: PUT KIDS FIRST By RYAN SAGER - New York Post Online Edition: Postopinion
AS the Albany legislative session races to a close this week, lawmakers are failing to act on a measure that could allow thousands of public-school children to escape the trap of failing schools. Will anybody put kids above cronyism? It’s […]

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A ‘DANGEROUSLY’ DELUDED DISSING
“I know John Faso and had a cordial relationship with him in the Assembly, but his far-right votes against children, women, education, civil rights, gun control and the environment make him dangerous for New York.”
- Assemblyman Herman “Denny” Farrell
FARRELL and other leading state Democrats have used this demagogic rhetoric to transform […]

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Hillary’s Approval Slipping Among N.Y. Voters
Sen. Hillary Clinton’s approval rating from New Yorkers has fallen to a new low, according to survey results released Monday.
Only 54 percent of respondents in a poll of 623 registered voters by the Siena College Research Institute said they viewed Clinton favorably, down from 58 percent last month and from […]

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INSIGHT
“There are in fact four very significant stumbling blocks in the way of grasping the truth, which hinder every man however learned, and scarcely allow anyone to win a clear title to wisdom, namely, the example of weak and unworthy authority, longstanding custom, the feeling of the ignorant crowd, and the hiding of our own […]

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Let the veto stand — Page 1 — TimesUnion.com
Allowing day care providers bargaining status with the state would set the wrong precedent
At a time when no spending initiative seems to be too extravagant for state lawmakers, Gov. Pataki has taken a principled stand in vetoing a bill that would swell the ranks of unionized public […]

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Campaign Hinders, Rather Than Helps, Effort to Raise Charter School Cap
BUFFALO, NY (2006-06-19) One of the outstanding issues before state legislators this week is raising the cap on the number of charter schools in New York. One local lawmakers says he remains optimistic that will happen, despite a recent setback.
The limit of 100 charter schools […]

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New York Daily News - Ideas & Opinions - Editorials: Charter school foes act like children
Assembly Democrats have seized on a new and particularly lame excuse for blocking the expansion of charter schools: Their feelings are hurt.
Speaker Sheldon Silver and his members got bent out of shape when a group called Parents for Public Charter […]

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John Faso Unveils Relief Agenda for Property Taxpayers and Local Governments
Earlier this week, John Faso outlined his plans to bring immediate tax and mandate relief to New York’s homeowners and local governments at the Conference of Mayor’s Annual Meeting. Faso’s plan took aim at the high cost of state laws and mandates on local governments […]

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Democrat & Chronicle: Editorials
State lawmakers still aren’t doing enough to cut costs
(June 16, 2006) — With the state Legislature scheduled to adjourn next week, taxpayers should be outraged that so little has been done to fix New York’s mammoth, $44 billion Medicaid program.
Monroe County residents, in particular, should be upset. After all, as a direct […]

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