Thursday, October 1, 2026
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For Long Island school districts already grappling with a high tax burden and unique cost-of-living challenges, this represents yet another significant financial strain that would fall squarely on local taxpayers.
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By Rocco J. Lacertosa
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6/26/26
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This month’s overdue release of the state financial plan by the Division of the Budget revealed a staggering $277 billion final spending number, $9 billion more than what Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democrats debated, voted on and publicly celebrated. It’s also nearly a 10 percent increase over last year’s $254 billion budget.
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By Ed Ra
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6/26/26
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I was among the first two dozen Peace Corps volunteers sent to Bulgaria, only 18 months after the fall of communism there. At first I felt excited to be living 4,800 miles from home in a society that moved more slowly, more deliberately, with a deep appreciation for food and wine, art and music. Living in Veliko Tarnovo, a thousand-year-old city perched atop steep hills overlooking the Yantra River, I was happy.
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By Scott Brinton
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6/26/26
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Political leaders launch wars with grand objectives and sweeping promises. Months or years later, after spending enormous amounts of blood, treasure and political capital and often achieving far less than they promised, those same leaders still claim victory. They point to a ceasefire, a withdrawal, a temporary calm or a return to the conditions that existed before the conflict began and call it success. In some cases, the conditions that prompted the war remain unchanged. The victory speech, however, arrives right on schedule.
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By Michael Blitz
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6/26/26
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The top four ways that many area students obtain alcohol are at parties; from friends under age 21; from stores, gas stations, restaurants or bars; and from parents or guardians, with their permission.
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By Alison Eriksen
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6/26/26
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In 11th grade, while other students were making college plans, I was uncertain of my future. Neither of my parents had gone to college. My mother died when I was 9 and my father, bankrupt from medical bills, was a single parent of two young children.
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By Robert A. Scott
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6/26/26
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Today the question many New York families are asking is whether the next generation will have that same chance. Perhaps if he were alive today, Ol’ Blue Eyes would wonder: Can anyone still make it here? The truth is that many New Yorkers feel like they’re doing everything right and are still falling behind.
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By Jack Martins
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6/19/26
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At the governor’s news conference on May 13, our neighbors who did the hard work on this grant proposal were publicly recognized. And while the funding itself is cause for celebration, the behavior of our local Republican leadership surrounding the announcement reveals a troubling reality about its priorities.
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By Kelly J. Johnson
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6/19/26
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Under the current system, even when fuel prices spike, the county continues collecting a sales tax of 4.25 percent. There is no adjustment for an unusual, sustained price surge. The math is simple: The higher the price, the more the county collects in taxes, creating a windfall for the government. Residents, workers and small businesses shoulder this additional expense without receiving the benefit of readily available relief.
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By Scott M. Davis
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6/19/26
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For families waiting at bus stops, seniors trying to safely access parking lots, small businesses hoping customers could return, and emergency vehicles that depend on clear roads, this wasn’t an abstract issue. It was a quality-of-life issue. It was a safety issue. And it was a reminder that when we fail to invest in basic public-works infrastructure, residents are the ones who pay the price.
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By Cynthia Nuñez
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6/19/26
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