Ban all cellphone use while driving
New technology that prevents cell phones from working when their operators are driving a vehicle should not be marketed specifically for teens but for “anyone who gets behind the wheel,” says Randy...
View ArticleAre our rights being stripped away?
We’re taking a look back at some recent developments on the civil liberties front, starting with a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this month that some see as the latest chink in the Bill of Rights...
View ArticleWhen cops fail to think
Our opinion: The Albany police alienate some public housing residents with an all too realistic training exercise. Where’s the training in better community relations? That was some training exercise...
View ArticleFreedom and safety require some balance
The government’s role is to balance personal freedom against “other important rights,” says Michael Grunwald in Time. That includes, he writes, “the right of a child to watch a marathon or attend first...
View ArticleDeath at too tender an age
Our opinion: A 7-year-old boy is the victim of a South End car crash. How many more such incidents will happen there, amid heavy traffic and a crowded public housing project? The saddest words, and the...
View ArticleDistracted driving
Hands-free is not risk-free A New York Times editorial cites a AAA study finding that so-called hands-free devices can cause as much distraction to drivers as talking without the device. The Times says...
View ArticleCome clean on crude oil
Our opinion: The public is owed full transparency when it comes to transporting dangerous cargo through their communities. A train rumbling through people’s backyards, pulling car after car of crude...
View ArticleHomeland insecurity
Our opinion: An agency with as critical a mission can’t afford to be distracted by leadership controversy. The more we hear about the head of the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency...
View ArticleStorm report is overdue
Our opinion: It’s time to finish and publicly release an audit of the state’s emergency response to Superstorm Sandy, before another storm season is upon us. Depending on which version of the...
View ArticleR-C-S can’t wait weeks
Our opinion: The non-working fire hydrants near the Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk middle and high schools need to be fixed now, not weeks from now. The fundamentals of fire safety are usually among the first...
View ArticleInsecurity, uncertainty
Our opinion: The continuing questions about the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services erode confidence in a critical agency. The niggling questions regarding the administration...
View ArticleDisaster prep is needed
Nearly 17 months after Superstorm Sandy, we are finally getting some official accountability for the handling of the disaster by the state’s Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services. The...
View ArticleMudslide risk was reported
A 1999 geological report on the hill that collapsed in Snohomish County documented the potential for a catastrophic landslide, contradicting county officials who said the hill was considered safe, say...
View ArticleLong story short
Our opinions: We weigh in briefly on damage at Farnsworth Middle School, oil business at the Port of Albany, and the need for a more accountable expenses system for lawmakers. Don’t leave ‘em holding...
View ArticleThe fight against blight
Our opinion: In the wake of a building collapse, Albany and Albany County need to more seriously address the problem of demolition-by-neglect. The Fourth of July collapse of a historic row house...
View ArticleAnd now, in other views
OK, we’re as distracted by blue skies and cool breezes as the next person. So to give everyone a break, we thought that we’d offer up a few quick editorial bites for a midsummer Monday morning: ZEN and...
View ArticleQuestions from Ferguson
Our opinion: Violence in a Midwestern city over the police killing of an unarmed black teen should prompt communities to examine how police are trained and equipped to do their job. No matter what the...
View ArticleLong story short
Our opinions: We weigh in briefly on Medicare cuts, abuse in the NFL, and efforts to save lives on Central Avenue. Congress being penny-wise, pound-foolish Congress’ stingy approach to almost...
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