Author Archives: Ed Kowalski

A Valley Viewpoint Narrative Poughkeepsie is once again standing at that all-too-familiar intersection where history meets a wrecking ball, and everyone involved insists it’s called “progress.” This time the spotlight falls on the Juliet building on Raymond Avenue — a place that has lived many lives, from its beginnings in 1938 as the Juliet TheaterContinue reading “Losing the Juliet, Losing Ourselves”

A Valley Viewpoint Narrative on Nonprofit Hypocrisy There is a certain breed of nonprofit leader who walks through life radiating self-importance, convinced the universe owes them applause simply because they “care.” They speak in hushed, holy tones. They tilt their heads when discussing “the mission.” They post photos from board meetings and food drives withContinue reading “The Gospel of Good Intentions”

A Valley Viewpoint Narrative Let’s stop pretending. New York’s affordability crisis didn’t just “happen.” It was manufactured—piece by piece—by lawmakers who fell in love with green-energy fantasies while ignoring the people stuck paying for them. Albany sold New Yorkers a utopian future powered by wind turbines, solar farms, and political righteousness. What we got insteadContinue reading “Green Dreams, Empty Wallets: How Albany’s Energy Fantasies Are Bleeding New Yorkers Dry”

A Valley Viewpoint Narrative Albany’s New Labor-Law Storm — And What It Really Means for NY Employers You know, every time New York State says it’s making “updates to protect workers,” employers across the state instinctively check their wallets. And 2026? This isn’t an update. This is a full-on legislative storm, and Albany is makingContinue reading “Albany’s New Labor laws for 2026”

A Valley Viewpoint Narrative The City of Poughkeepsie is asking Albany for $14.7 million to fund 16 downtown projects. Six are spelled out. Ten are essentially blank spaces. And somehow, City Hall expects taxpayers to cheer, nod approvingly, and quietly hope this time won’t end like all the others. Let’s be blunt: Poughkeepsie has masteredContinue reading “Poughkeepsie Wants $14.7 Million — But Can It Handle the Truth?”

A VALLEY VIEWPOINT NARRATIVE Who Judges the Judges? We like to pretend that judges sit above the noise—calm, detached, immune to politics. The black robe, the raised bench, the solemnity of the courtroom all feed that comforting fiction. But anyone who has spent time in a courthouse knows the truth: judges are human, and sometimesContinue reading “Who Judges the Judges?”

A VALLEY VIEWPOINT NARRATIVE Federal judges don’t resign. They age on the bench like marble statues, accumulating clerks, citations, and reverence while their robes outlive entire political movements. So when they do quit, it’s supposed to mean something. But Judge Mark Wolf’s grand exit — celebrated in some corners as a brave defense of constitutionalContinue reading “When Federal Judges Run For The Exits”

A VALLEY VIEWPOINT NARRATIVE In America, there are two kinds of people who get lucky in federal court: the innocent, and the very guilty who happen to be prosecuted by clowns. James Comey—once the towering embodiment of FBI righteousness, halo polished daily by cable news—falls squarely into the second category. Let’s not kid ourselves. ComeyContinue reading “The Guilty Walk Free when The Government Can’t Tie it’s Shoes”

School Bus Pet Peeves: A Morning Meditation on Patience, Fury, and the Slow March of Childhood If you’ve ever found yourself behind a school bus at 7:13 a.m., you already know: there are few earthly experiences that test the human spirit quite like the Morning Rounds. A school bus does not drive a route.It performsContinue reading “The Big Yellow Bus”

Ed Kowalski is a writer, commentator, and advocate for accountability in public life. He founded The Valley Viewpoint on a simple credo: comfort the afflicted, and afflict the comfortable. His essays and commentaries follow that mission—sharp, principled, and grounded in the experiences of real people rather than abstractions. Ed grew up on Manhattan’s East Side,Continue reading “Ed Kowalski: Speaking Plainly in a World That Too Often Doesn’t”