Author Archives: Ed Kowalski

The Greek philosopher Heraclitus wrote, “Character is destiny.” Twenty-five centuries later, I cannot think of a better lens through which to view Anthony Fauci. For years, Dr. Fauci was one of the most trusted public health officials in America. Republicans and Democrats alike sought his counsel. Presidents from both parties relied upon him. The whiteContinue reading “Character Is Destiny”

In 1881, a 23-year-old Theodore Roosevelt arrived in Albany as one of the youngest members ever elected to the New York State Assembly. Idealistic, energetic, and convinced that public service was an honorable calling, he believed he could help make government better. What he found instead left him deeply disheartened. In his diaries and laterContinue reading “The More Things Change…”

The taxpayers of Dutchess County deserve an answer. Why was a special meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature called if the Democrat Majority had no intention of allowing a vote? Legislators were summoned to a special session to consider the agreement for the proposed 26 Oakley project. Members interrupted their schedules, staff prepared for theContinue reading “The Democrat Majority’s Costly Game of Delay”

Pizza. What is it about pizza? An invention created for the masses: breads baked with emmer wheat; polenta made from ground barley; cheese, fresh and aged, made from the milk of cows and sheep; pork sausages and cured meats; vegetables grown in the fertile soil along the Tiber. In these staples, more than the spice-rubbedContinue reading “Pizza and Memories”

There are policy disagreements. Then there are moments when elected officials reveal just how disconnected they have become from the realities faced by the people they represent. This week, more than 100 elected officials across New York—including 28 from the Hudson Valley—signed a letter urging congressional leaders to abolish and dismantle U.S. Immigration and CustomsContinue reading “If You Want to Abolish ICE, Tell the Voters Before They Elect You”

Modern medicine has made breathtaking advances: robotic surgeries, gene editing, precision diagnostics, even artificial intelligence promising to diagnose a tumor faster than a seasoned oncologist. Yet for the average American patient, the experience still starts the same way it did thirty years ago: a clipboard, a laminated insurance card, and a gnawing uncertainty about what’sContinue reading “The Waiting Room of Broken Promises: Medicine, Insurance, and the Last Line of Defense—Customer Service”

There are moments when government reveals what it truly values. This week was one of them. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, sitting as a member of the state’s Board of Pardons, voted to grant clemency to a man convicted of sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl. The decision has ignited predictable political outrage. But this story isContinue reading “When Government Pardons the Unforgivable”

For many in the Hudson Valley, New York City politics can feel like a world away. But history has a habit of reminding us that ideas rarely stay confined to city limits. They travel. They migrate. And eventually, they arrive in our own town halls, school boards, county legislatures, and state government. The New YorkContinue reading “The Revolution Isn’t Coming. It’s Already Applying for Local Office.”

The other day, more out of curiosity than conviction, I looked up the moon that hung over New York City when I was born. Apparently, I arrived under a waning crescent moon. Astrologers say it’s the moon of reflection, truth-seeking, and passing along what you’ve learned to others. I had to chuckle. After all, I’veContinue reading “Maybe It Was the Moon…But I Think It Was the Hudson Valley”

If I were ever invited to deliver a commencement address, I’d do something that would probably make every English teacher cringe. I’d borrow from Justice Clarence Thomas. Not because I couldn’t write my own speech, but because he captured a truth our culture desperately needs to hear. He said: “Today, we rarely hear of ourContinue reading “Freedom Isn’t Free—It’s Earned Through Responsibility”

For the past several months, I’ve written repeatedly about what I believe is one of the greatest threats facing New York—not crime, not taxes, not even our failing energy policies. It’s the steady erosion of confidence in our courts. I’ve written about judges who appear more interested in social engineering than interpreting the law. I’veContinue reading “The Bench Is Not a Political Reward”

Britain has a new prime minister. His name is Andy Burnham. And not a single voter in Britain cast a ballot for him to become prime minister in a nationwide election. Under the United Kingdom’s parliamentary system, the governing Labour Party selected Burnham to replace Keir Starmer after Starmer resigned. Because Labour still holds aContinue reading “Nobody Elected Britain’s New Prime Minister. Could It Happen Here?”