Politics

When the faucet is turned on, we take it for granted that clean, safe water will come out of the spigot. Unfortunately, as has been reported both nationally and in New York State, this is not always the case. In recent years, many problems have arisen due to aging water and sewer systems. In many cases, municipalities are dealing with systems that are more than 100 years old.

Libraries serve as a valuable resource for millions of residents in both rural and urban areas. In New York state there are more than 750 libraries. They are usually centrally located in communities and function both as a free and public space for events and provide key resources to people all ages. In addition to providing traditional services and educational resources, libraries provide free computer and internet access.

As has become an Albany tradition, the budget was passed in the early morning hours having been for the most part negotiated by what is known as “four men in a room” – the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, the Majority Leader of the Senate and the Leader of the Independent Democratic Conference of the Senate. The massive $168.3 billion budget is bigger than any other state’s budget with the exception of California, a state with twice as many people as New York.

In recent years, the state has made significant investments in our state parks. Specifically, additional funding has assisted in improvements at parks statewide and includes everything from playground equipment, entryways, beach areas, trails, and restroom facilities. Not only were many of these upgrades necessary as a result of age and preservation of our resources, they were strategically done to encourage tourism and increase park attendance.

As was widely reported, earlier this month Joe Percoco, a former top-aide to Governor Cuomo, was found guilty of three corruption-related charges. While corruption convictions of state officials, sadly, are nothing new, the Percoco conviction was front page news because of his very close relationship to Governor Cuomo. Also, the trial shed light on how a few connected people have tremendous control over billions of dollars of public money that is supposed to be used for economic development.