Politics

New York has a habit of enacting policies that, rather than finding a balance, addresses the issue by creating burdensome regulations that are costly, overreaching and often untested. Nowhere is this more evident than with the paid-family leave program that is due to go into effect on January 1, 2018. The concept of paid-family leave is something most New Yorkers (including myself) agree with – that is, providing employees with the ability to take paid time off from work to care for a sick family member or to provide care for a newborn child. But as too often is the case in New York, our paid-family leave policy fails to balance the needs of the employee with the employer and pays scat attention to costs.

In 2008, an 8-year-old Stony Brook, NY, resident named Lauren Shields was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy and heart disease. Doctors determined that Lauren’s condition was life threatening and in order to survive, she would need a heart transplant. On Feb. 3, 2009, her name was placed on the organ transplant list. No one knew when a heart would become available and Lauren’s health was quickly deteriorating. As a result, doctors had to place her in a medically-induced coma while waiting for a donated heart.

For years, state lawmakers convicted of abusing power related to their public duties have been able to collect a state pension and sometimes even behind bars. Thankfully, this could change for future criminals if voters approve an amendment to the state constitution in November. This election year, New York state voters will have the opportunity to amend the State Constitution to permit the forfeiture of state pensions for those public officials convicted of a felony related to their public duties (e.g. bribery).

New York’s tourism industry is alive and showing signs of growth. According to a recent study of the state’s tourism industry, it is estimated that 239 million visitors traveled to New York State in 2016. These visitors had an estimated economic impact of $104.8 billion and $64.8 billion in direct spending. While the number of visitors and spending is up from 2015, the state can do more to help increase tourism.

For more than 100 years, the New York State Commission for the Blind has assisted people in achieving their personal and vocational goals. The commission was established by law in 1913 to maintain a “census of the blind” in New York State and to help individuals who are legally blind find suitable employment. Today as a division of the Office of Children and Family Services, one of its primary objectives is to assist people of all ages to achieve full integration into society and economic self-sufficiency.