Category Archives: Uncategorized

While New Yorkers struggle to pay their property taxes, fill their gas tanks, afford groceries, and keep their families in the state, Albany has once again demonstrated just how disconnected it has become from the concerns of everyday citizens. State lawmakers are now advancing legislation that would remove references to “mother” and “father” from sectionsContinue reading “Albany’s War on Common Sense Continues”

There was a time when public transportation systems were expected to transport people. Today, it seems their primary function is transporting money—from taxpayers’ pockets into government budgets. The latest example comes from California, where lawmakers are considering asking Bay Area residents to pay higher taxes to support the struggling transit system known as BART. TheContinue reading “The Taxpayer Train Never Stops”

For more than two years, I have been writing about judicial accountability, judicial arrogance, and the often-overlooked struggles faced by citizens who find themselves at the mercy of a legal system that appears unwilling to police its own. My interest in the subject is not academic. It is personal. For more than two years, judicialContinue reading “Private Reprimand, Public Doubts: The Growing Question of Judicial Accountability”

If you were intentionally trying to drive successful residents, entrepreneurs, professionals, and retirees out of New York, what would you do? You’d raise taxes. Again. That appears to be the thinking behind Resolution No. 295, which will be considered by the Ulster County Legislature on June 16. The resolution seeks Albany’s permission to impose aContinue reading “How to Drive More Taxpayers Out of New York”

Every once in a while, a social media challenge comes along that is actually worth participating in. No dangerous stunts. No vandalism. No swallowing detergent pods. No filming yourself doing something foolish for clicks and likes. This one is called the “988 Challenge.” The challenge is simple: save the number 988 in your phone, shareContinue reading “The 988 Challenge: The Most Important Number You Can Save”

Governor Kathy Hochul’s decision to sign legislation prohibiting ICE agents from wearing masks during enforcement operations is being sold as a matter of “transparency” and “accountability.” In reality, it may be one of the most reckless public safety decisions to come out of Albany in years. Let’s be honest about what this law does. ItContinue reading “Hochul’s Latest Gift to Criminals: Making ICE Agents Easier Targets”

There was a time when Americans believed the federal judiciary stood apart from the dysfunction and hypocrisy that infects so many other institutions. Courts, we were told, were the guardians of fairness — places where constitutional rights mattered, where due process meant something, and where power would always be checked by principle. But a caseContinue reading “Inside the Federal Judiciary’s Alleged Culture of Protection and Silence”

There was a time in America when the courthouse represented something almost sacred. The building itself mattered. The marble halls. The silence. The elevated bench. It was meant to send a message: here, above politics and ego and appetite, the rule of law prevails. But every so often, the curtain slips. This week came anotherContinue reading “The Black Robe Club”

The older I get, the more I’ve come to distrust certain words in professional America — words polished so carefully they begin to lose all connection to reality. And few words bother me more than partner. Particularly in the legal world. For years, I watched lawyers throw that word around with almost religious reverence. “HeContinue reading “The Legal Profession’s Greatest Fiction: “Partner””

Over the past several days, my post regarding Cuba, Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and the brutal legacy of political executions under that regime exploded across Facebook in a way I never anticipated. The reaction was enormous, emotional, and deeply divided. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1BSpQxGVSx/?mibextid=wwXIfr Some people thanked me for speaking about the suffering endured by Cuban families whoContinue reading “1.7 Million Views Later: Why my Cuba Facebook Post Exploded Across Facebook”

The tax machine is always hungry. This week, Jen Metzger unveiled a proposal for an income-based surcharge on higher earners in Ulster County — a plan that would target residents making over $200,000, or couples making over $400,000. County officials say the measure could generate between $10 million and $20 million annually. (spectrumlocalnews.com) And thereContinue reading “Valley Viewpoint: The Hudson Valley Tax Machine Never Stops”

Albany has officially crossed another line. This week, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation effectively prohibiting cooperation between local authorities and ICE. Think about that for a moment. New York State is now openly positioning itself against federal immigration enforcement. Not against violent criminals.Not against gangs.Not against fentanyl.Against cooperation with federal law enforcement itself. And weContinue reading “The Rule of Law — Unless Albany Disagrees”