Politics

There are few places in the world that can lay claim to the national and international history that has taken place at Fort Ontario. The historical events which have occurred at the fort over the last three centuries are varied, significant and numerous. Surprisingly, the fort’s history and the role it has played in our American story is not widely known.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, an estimated 5.3 million Americans have Alzheimer’s disease. Of the 5.3 million Americans with Alzheimer’s, an estimated 5.1 million people are age 65 and older and approximately 200,000 individuals are under age 65. Research shows that almost two-thirds of Americans with Alzheimer’s are women. Sadly, because it is a degenerative disease the symptoms usually worsen over time and it becomes harder for people to function independently.

At the beginning of the year, New York state’s minimum wage will increase to $9 an hour. Many, particularly left-leaning organizations from NYC, argue that $9 isn’t enough and NY should raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour, a position with which Governor Cuomo agrees.

To understand the significance of this situation and how it happened, it’s important to remember that Sheldon Silver dominated the Assembly for more than 20 years and his power was not structurally limited. He solely controlled the way ethics investigations were run, he determined which bills made it to the floor of the house, and he determined what resources and staff individual Assembly members received.