It’s not easy being a Democrat these days. The president may be one, but the country is being run by Tea Party sympathizers. President Obama spends most of his time responding to the demands of a wild and crazy group of Congress members who want to turn America upside down. more

The House and Senate have finally agreed on a budget deal to keep government running through the end of the fiscal year. But just when you thought the fighting was over, it’s only just begun. more

Would you be willing to pay $4 a month more in property taxes to help shield the poor and neediest of your neighbors from the harshest of cuts to county services that are their lifeline? more

It’s time for the Republican Party to call the police and report a kidnapping. A few months ago, the party was basking in the glow of a big victory in Washington and victories around the country. Now it seems that wherever you look, there’s chaos and confusion. more

Facing a fiscal crisis, Nassau County’s leaders have difficult decisions to make. Raising property taxes and imposing budget cuts are two options and County Executive Ed Mangano said last week that he would choose the latter. more

Facing a fiscal crisis, Nassau County’s leaders have difficult decisions to make. Raising property taxes and imposing budget cuts are two options. County Executive Ed Mangano said last week that … more

State Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos says he is optimistic that despite the difficult choices they face, this is the year when Albany lawmakers will finally make the structural changes to the state budget needed to rein in spending. more

It is time for leaders to take strong, firm stances. That goes for lawmakers in Washington and Albany, our county, town and village representatives and the elected members of our own boards of education. more

The Bellmore-based Long Island Crisis Center is facing a crisis of its own: Governor Cuomo’s proposed budget cuts mean that the center could lose nearly one-third of its budget, possibly shutting … more

My last column, “Stop playing games with the budget deficit” (Feb. 3) was written one week before New York State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued his analysis of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s executive budget draft. The irrationality I outlined fell short of anticipating the following mea-culpa expressed in the comptroller’s analysis. “The SFY 2010-2011 enacted budget relied on $16.7 billion in non-recurring or temporary budget resources; and overly optimistic tax revenue projections, causing a dramatically worsened state structural deficit.” How dramatic? These tenuous entries constituted 30 percent of all the monies in the state’s operating fund. more