Author Archives: Ed Kowalski

If you’ve been reading Valley Viewpoint for any length of time, you know a theme runs through my writing like a fault line beneath the surface: The growing absurdity of our justice system. Not the ideal. The ideal is sacred. Equal justice under law. Blindfolded. Balanced scales. But the execution? Increasingly political. Increasingly detached fromContinue reading “How Absurd Does Justice Have to Get?”

Here in the Hudson Valley, we talk a lot about clean air, affordable power, and reliable energy — because bills and budgets matter to real people who heat their homes, fill their cars, and feed their families.This week in Albany, a leaked memo from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) setContinue reading “When the Green Energy Future Comes With a Hefty Price Tag”

There was a line in the State of the Union that should have united the entire chamber — Republican, Democrat, independent alike.President Donald Trump declared a nationwide war on fraud and put Vice President J.D. Vance in charge of leading it.Not a war on political opponents.Not a war on speech.Not a war on imaginary enemies.AContinue reading “Finally — A Government That Treats Fraud Like a Crime”

A poll reported by the New York Post found that roughly one-third of New Yorkers are considering leaving the state within the next five years.That’s not noise.That’s not partisan spin.That’s a warning.And yet, if you watch the political theater coming out of Albany — and increasingly from newly elected Democrats across the state — youContinue reading “Valley Viewpoint: One-Third Want to Leave — And Albany Still Doesn’t Get It”

There are moments in politics that are choreographed. And then there are moments that reveal something deeper.During the 2026 State of the Union, the defining image wasn’t the applause lines, the policy charts, or the carefully positioned guests in the gallery. It was far simpler than that. President Trump asked the chamber to stand inContinue reading “When a Chamber Wouldn’t Stand — And Why It Matters Here at Home”

Tonight, in a chamber built to represent the American people, a simple request was made. When Donald Trump asked members of Congress to stand if they support American citizens over illegal aliens, it should not have been a complicated moment. It should not have required parsing. It should not have triggered strategic hesitation. And yet,Continue reading “Standing for Americans Shouldn’t Be Controversial”

The recent 5–4 decision by the Supreme Court of the United States holding that the United States Postal Service cannot be sued for intentionally failing to deliver mail landed differently for me than it may have for others. For some, it’s a technical ruling about statutory interpretation under the Federal Tort Claims Act. For me,Continue reading “When Immunity Becomes Impunity”

There is something almost heroic about the American capacity to industrialize flattery. We have managed to turn youth, ambition, and a functioning LinkedIn account into a black-tie gala.The “40 Under 40” award is the crown jewel of this enterprise.Every year, in cities large and small — yes, even here in the Hudson Valley — aContinue reading “Forty Under Forty: Because Wisdom Apparently Peaks at 39”

There’s a familiar rhythm to New York politics. A new mayor takes office in New York City, promises transformation, and within months the budget numbers start landing with a thud. This time it’s Zohran Mamdani — the progressive standard-bearer who campaigned on taxing the wealthy, expanding services, and reshaping the city’s priorities. Now he’s staringContinue reading “When New York City Sneezes, the Hudson Valley Reaches for a Tissue”

When lawyers draft motions alleging “loss of the ability to enjoy life,” they usually mean something visible — a spinal injury, a brain trauma, a permanent physical limitation. The law recognizes that beyond medical bills and lost wages, there is something deeper: the diminished ability to live freely and fully. We rarely imagine that lossContinue reading “The Day Federal Court Changed My Daughter’s Life”

New York City’s new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, is discovering that governing is far more complicated than campaigning. His first major budget proposal — a record-setting $127 billion plan — attempts to close a projected multibillion-dollar deficit while preserving an ambitious progressive agenda. But the numbers are sobering. To bridge the gap, the mayor has floatedContinue reading “When New York City’s Budget Becomes the Hudson Valley’s Business”

There are moments when the marble façade of the Supreme Court of the United States feels less like a symbol of stability and more like a brake pedal pressed hard. This week was one of those moments. In a 6–3 decision, the Court struck down the sweeping tariffs imposed by Donald Trump under the InternationalContinue reading “The Valley Viewpoint: The Cost of Restraint”