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Politics and Government
The school year starts this week for many children across New York. And, as Karen DeWitt reports, it comes at a time of great fiscal uncertainty, change and even upheaval for the state's public schools. More...
A vocal protester of the Governor's plan to furlough state workers
Labor unions in the United States have suffered in recent decades, as their membership and influence declined. Here in New York, though, state employee labor unions are going strong. And, as Karen DeWitt reports, they've won several key battles in the most recent budget cycle.
Senator John Sampson (l - from NYS Senate website)
Senator John Sampson, the leader of the Senate Democrats, admits it's been a rocky first two years in power for his party. But the usually reticent Sampson, in a rare sit down interview with Karen DeWitt, says he hopes voters and the public will judge Senate Democrats on the results of the recently concluded session, not on the sometimes messy process.
Could their decision throw the race to Democrat Bill Owens?
Conservative Republican Doug Hoffman says he will continue his fight to win the 23rd district House seat, even if he loses the GOP primary later this month.
Hoffman will appear on the Conservative Party ballot line and says he’s promised to continue campaigning against Republican Matt Doheny and Democrat Bill Owens. As Brian Mann reports, the decision has infuriated many Republican leaders. And it raises questions about the Republican Party’s ability to take back a seat that had been a GOP stronghold since before the Civil War. More...
Matt Doheny (left) hoped to convince Republicans that he's a movement conservative. Doug Hoffman hopes his fame from last year's special election will carry him to victory this year.
Matt Doheny (seated at far left) and Doug Hoffman (far right) debate in Plattsburgh. (Photos: Brian Mann)
Matt Doheny and Doug Hoffman slugged it out last night in Plattsburgh, when the two Republicans met for their first debate.
They’re fighting for the chance to face Democratic Representative Bill Owens in the November election. With the primary just two weeks away, both men agreed on most of the issues. But they spent ninety minutes questioning each other’s integrity and arguing over who has the best shot to reclaim a House seat that was once a Republican stronghold. As Brian Mann reports, more than 200 people turned out to hear what the two men had to say. More...
Doug Hoffman (left) and Matt Doheny (right) arrive in Plattsburgh for last night's Republican primary debate. (Photo: Brian Mann)
This week's debate between Doug Hoffman and Matt Doheny in the NY-23 Republican Primary was fierce and raw at times, but the two men also laid out a staunchly conservative agenda, promising to repeal President Barack Obama's healthcare plan, opposing same-sex marriage and embryonic stem cell research, arguing for an end to earmark projects in the North Country and a full stop to stimulus spending. The debate was organized by UNYTEA, one of the region's largest tea party groups.
Murphy was sworn in last year by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Rep. Scott Murphy meets with constituents in the North Country (NCPR File photo)
Representative Scott Murphy toured the North Country yesterday, visiting Lake Placid, Keene and North Hudson.
Murphy is a Democrat from Glens Falls who represents the 20th district. He’s running hard to win a first full term in congress. He faces Republican challenger Chris Gibson, a former Army colonel from Columbia County. As Brian Mann reports, Murphy faces a very different political climate from last year, when he squeaked by in a special election.
Rep. Scott Murphy (D-Glens Falls)
In a sit-down interview this week with North Country Public Radio, Rep. Scott Murphy said that his political identity is distinct from that of his national party going into this fall's midterm election.
Will voters buy that argument, despite Murphy's support for key elements of the Democratic agenda? In a district where registered Republicans outnumber registered Democrats, that question may define whether or not Murphy wins a full first term in his race with Republican challenger Chris Gibson. Here is Rep. Murphy's unedited conversation with Brian Mann.
A live broadcast of the New York State Attorney General Democratic Primary Debate, was held Tuesday, August 31 at the University of Rochester and was moderated by Julie Philipp of WXXI. Participants included candidates Richard Brodsky, Eric Schneiderman, Sean Coffey, Eric Dinallo, Kathleen Rice. Audio courtexy of WXXI in Rochester.
A new poll finds New Yorkers split about whether a proposed mosque and community center should be constructed near Ground zero in lower Manhattan, but nearly three quarters think the organizers should voluntarily build somewhere else. Karen DeWitt reports.
 NEW: See the latest 20 Political News stories on the mapCapitol News Connection journalists track down lawmakers to get your questions answered.  Politics
September 8, 2010 | NPR · Longtime Chicago Mayor Richard Daley announced Tuesday he will not seek a seventh term in office. Daley is credited with building the city's skyline and beautifying its stunning lakefront. But he leaves office with the city's budget in crisis, violent crime soaring in some neighborhoods and the feds probing corruption in City Hall. Daley's departure also leads to lots of speculation over just who may be Chicago's next mayor.
September 8, 2010 | NPR · A full-blown congressional debate on the expiring 2001 and 2003 tax cuts will unfold this fall, but some lawmakers have already weighed in on the most controversial issue: whether it makes sense, at a time of huge budget deficits, to extend tax relief for those earning more than $250,000.
September 7, 2010 | NPR · Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, apparently defeated in her bid for another term in the Aug. 24 GOP primary -- she conceded the race last week -- may have a change of heart. She is considering all options, including remaining on the ballot in some way.
September 7, 2010 | NPR · Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, who has been in office since 1989 and who is set to break his late father's longevity record on Christmas, announced today he will not seek re-election in 2011.
September 7, 2010 | NPR · President Obama wants to shift the political debate away from big versus small government and toward a discussion of whether or not the government works. Proving effectiveness requires more transparency, and the administration has used online tools to do that, but many Americans still await results.
Voter ResourcesProject Sunlight: Track lobbying activities, member item spending and other legislation in New York. An initiative of the NYS Office of the Attorney General. League of Women Voters DemocracyNet: Great one-stop election resource. NYS Board of Elections Campaign Finance Database: Enter the last name of any candidate in New York to find out where the money comes from and where it's going. Open Secrets:
Campaign finance information broken down by industry, region,
etc., for mostly federal politicans. An excellent starting
point for following Special Reports  Audio Slideshow:Adirondack teens talk democracy Face of Democracy is a national program that gives students an inside view of the democratic process by sending out to polling places to interview and photograph voters and officials. Sue Halpern, project organizer, talks with Brian Mann  Cartoon Special:Editorial cartoonist Mark Wilson Covers the NYS Party Conventions Mark Wilson, aka Marquil, is a political cartoonist covering the 2006 New York State party conventions for NCPR. His sketches and caricatures bring the arcana of state politics to life. Adirondack News Fund Founding Supporters: Paul Smith's College, The College of the Adirondacks · Wildlife Conservation Society · Adirondack Medical Center Foundation · Adirondack Museum · Niagara Mohawk Foundation · Schumann Foundation · John A. Sellon Charitable Trust · several anonymous individual donors |
