Category Archives: Uncategorized

In New York, we give judges enormous authority. They preside over disputes, determine guilt and innocence, and make decisions that can profoundly affect people’s lives. The public accepts that authority because we assume the person wearing the robe will exercise it with restraint, fairness, and a sense of responsibility. But sometimes the robe gets usedContinue reading “When the Bench Becomes a Bully: The Censure of Judge Susan Kesick”

Every so often, local politics offers a reminder that the loudest voices are not always the most accurate ones. This week, that reminder came courtesy of a social media exchange following a meeting of the Dutchess County Legislature. Heidi Tucci — a Democrat currently running for a seat in the Dutchess County Legislature — tookContinue reading “When Political Theater Replaces the Facts”

Every spring in Albany, there’s a ritual that plays out with remarkable consistency. Lawmakers warn that the state budget is tight. They speak solemnly about “difficult choices.” They debate spending priorities, taxes, and affordability. And then—almost on cue—someone proposes giving the legislature a raise. This year is no different. As part of negotiations over NewContinue reading “Albany’s Budget Season Tradition: Giving Themselves Another Raise”

This post first appeared in 2019. Today it surfaced again in my “Memories” feed, and reading it now stirred the same complicated feelings it did then—feelings that many of my fellow Xavier High School alumni will recognize. Several years ago, the head of the New York Jesuit Province released the names of Jesuits who hadContinue reading “When Old Words Return”

Last week, New York State Senator Rob Rolison convened a Crime Victims Roundtable — a gathering intended to bring together district attorneys, law enforcement officials, and victim advocates to discuss something that should never be partisan: the safety and support of crime victims. In principle, that kind of conversation is exactly what communities like oursContinue reading “Crime Victims Deserve Clarity, Not Complication”

There is a moment in politics when rhetoric collides with reality. Last week in Washington, that moment arrived. For years now, politicians across the political spectrum have loudly demanded the release of the Epstein files. The argument has been simple and powerful: if powerful people were involved in wrongdoing, the public deserves to know. NamesContinue reading “Transparency for Thee, but Not for Me”

A few days ago I wrote about a question that has quietly been hanging over politics here at home in the Hudson Valley: Is our government governing… or is it grandstanding? That column focused on a recent vote in the Dutchess County Legislature that, on its surface, had very little to do with governing DutchessContinue reading “Governance or Grandstanding — From Dutchess County to Washington”

There’s an old rule in public life that never seems to go out of style: the moment you start believing your own press is the moment your judgment begins to slip.We’re watching that play out in the national headlines right now with Kristi Noem — but if we’re honest, the phenomenon isn’t confined to WashingtonContinue reading “Kristi Noem, Local Nonprofits, and the Oldest Leadership Trap in the Book”

There was a time — not all that long ago — when business communication followed a simple rule: say what you mean, mean what you say, and make sure the person on the other end understands it. Somewhere along the way, that basic principle seems to have gotten lost. Today we live in a worldContinue reading “Where Did Common Sense Go in Business Communication?”

Sometimes the legal system reaches a result so disconnected from common sense that it forces ordinary people to ask a very simple question: What exactly is the system trying to protect? This week’s court decision involving the takeover of Hamilton Hall at Columbia University provides a case study. You may remember the event. During theContinue reading “When the Legal System Forgets the Crime”

I read recently that St. Elizabeth’s Church in Yorkville may soon be demolished. It caught my attention immediately. Not because I’ve attended Mass there in years, but because St. Elizabeth’s is the church where I was baptized. And when a place like that is disappearing, you realize it was never just a building. It wasContinue reading “When the Church Where You Were Baptized Is Disappearing — St. Elizabeth’s”

The U.S. Supreme Court this week confronted a question that strikes at the core of the American justice system: what happens when the judge is the problem? That question surfaced during arguments in United States v. Carter, a case forcing the justices to consider whether a defendant who signs away the right to appeal inContinue reading “When the Judge Is the Problem: Can a Plea Bargain Block the Appeal?”