New York has always been a pass-through state for those coming to America from other countries. A recent research paper by the Empire Center massaging the latest U.S. census figures affirms that this is our strength, a constant fresh flow of immigran Read More
School districts are being socked with a 29 percent increase in their pension costs this school year. The increase means schools will pay 11.11 percent of their payroll toward retirement costs in 2012, up from 8.62 percent in the prior school year Read More
As the ink dries on the newly approved contract between the Civil Service Employees Association and the state, attention is turning to the state's other large public sector union, the Public Employees Federation. As E.J. McMahon of the fiscally co Read More
Chalk up another win for Gov. Cuomo -- and New Yorkers: Rank-and-file members of the state’s largest public-employee union gave their blessing last night to a contract calling for a three-year pay freeze and other concessions. Besides Albany, th Read More
Forty years from now, politicians, writers, and historians may struggle to understand how America, once the quintessential middle-class society, became as socially stratified as Europe or even Brazil. Should that dark scenario come to pass, they woul Read More
As vivid as the confusion and fear of Sept. 11 remain for Karen Cooney, she knows it would be worse if she still lived in New York City. The only way to move forward, she continues to believe, was to move away. "Every time you would leave the h Read More
Increasing expenses are forcing some local cemeteries to raise their rates as they're hit with declining burials and the growing popularity of cremation. The price for a basic adult interment rose 36 percent at Cold Spring Cemetery in Cold Spring Read More