Cuomo is dedicated to anything but transparency By Alan S. Chartock You cannot have democracy without good information. How are any of us expected to vote intelligently if we don’t know what is going on? Andrew Cuomo campaigned for office on a platform of transparency in government. As attorney general, he employed Blair Horner to 
By Alan Chartock Cuomo will horse trade with legislators Like most of us, politicians prefer to avoid pain—they’d much prefer to take the easy route than tackle the tough issues. Here are a couple of examples. The Legislature has gone along with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s tough fiscal regimen on its agencies and citizens. Tax caps, 
Wrangling with Rangel, the elections board, redistricting and even voters Is it too late to complain about Rep. Charlie Rangel? Or the Board of Elections? Or the way people voted last month? I thought it was, given that the congressional primary election was held June 26. That night, we learned that Rangel had beaten back
Move to strip DiNapoli’s auditing power doesn’t pass smell test By Alan S. Chartock Political theorists have long raved about the advantages of balanced government. It is always best to have one independent branch looking over the shoulder of the others; balanced government helps prevent abuses. When the very popular Andrew Cuomo was elected governor, it
ACC presents potential for political corruption By Alan S. Chartock With Chief Justice John Roberts supporting the congressional right to pass the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), the politics of health care rises to the top of the list in New York state. Let there be no mistake about it: Politics in New York can get 
In a district that leans heavily Democratic, one Republican is hoping to upend the political establishment this fall and defeat the longtime incumbent, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, to represent the Upper East Side. Chris Wight, an investment banker who has lived in the neighborhood for the past decade, is quick to remind his naysayers that Maloney 
Bus Shelter Planned for W. 72nd Street After years of waiting for a solution from the Department of Transportation (DOT), bus riders will finally have a bus shelter again on West 72nd Street and Broadway. The original shelter was removed in 2010, when the stop for the M5, M57 and M72 bus routes was moved 
The lines have shifted and the race is fierce. As the date of the Democratic primary—June 26—approaches, four candidates for the 13th congressional district are competing for the party’s nomination against long-time incumbent Charles Rangel. The newly drawn boundaries of the district have been a source of much debate, with Rangel insisting that he is 
By Alissa Fleck Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand may rank favorably in polls, but Republican hopefuls are duking it out for her seat, with the June 26 primary fast approaching. The three Republicans vying for her postition, who participated in a primary debate last week, have elucidated their plans to decrease government control and spending. In the 
