I wrote a column over the weekend about the Fort Hood shootings. It takes issue with the scapegoat reasoning that, somehow, less political awareness, less cultural awareness and less religious awareness are the answers to such violence. That seems to be the upshot of the argument being advanced by the Fox News types, who have [...]

You have to feel for Dr. David Steiner and Dr. John B. King,, New York’s education commissioner and senior deputy commissioner, respectively. Steiner took office Oct. 1 and King on Oct. 5 — with New York in full fiscal meltdown and property taxpayers in near revolt. In Albany today, state lawmakers are picking up where [...]

While voters in the Lower Hudson Valley went about their lives on the glorious Sunday past, the Editorial Board  began rolling out its recommendations for the Nov.  3 elections.  Perhaps you were replacing storm windows or raking leaves and missed all the excitement. Not to worry, our endorsements continue through the week, [...]

Taxpayers in New Jersey and New York always seem to claim crying rights over who pays the highest taxes. Determining who actually is No. 1 isn’t as simple a proposition as it might seem. Are we talking state taxes or all taxes paid in a given state? Per capita or the average tax [...]

There’s an interesting — albeit predictable — discussion about gun rights, gun safety and home defense, in the forum attached to a Rockland story about the shooting of two men accused of breaking into a home in Haverstraw. Here’s the link.

Many readers are applauding the actions of the rifle-wielding homeowner, who struck one of the [...]

There’s an interesting discussion going on in Spring Valley, following a Sunday article about municipal salaries. As it turns out, 48 of the 50 highest-paid village employees are police officers. Topping the list is Police Chief Paul J. Modica, at $191,617. Mayor George Darden, the highest-paid mayor in Rockland, brought up the rear in the [...]

Here’s some deserved kudos to Bill Ryan, the chairman of the Westchester Board of Legislators. The False Claims Act / affordable-housing settlement that won final board approval last week had the potential to be a bigger and more expensive mess than it was—for the board and for taxpayers. It wasn’t, partly due to Ryan’s efforts. [...]

This is the first weekend run for Michael Moore’s new documentary, Capitalism: A Love Story, his long-anticipated send up on Wall Street, the financial meltdown, the economy, and the not-so-free enterprise system. If you see it, feel free to share your view.

I  saw it Wednesday in the city. It was vintage MM—  lots of ironic [...]

Here’s how members of the Westchester Board of Legislators cast their votes in the False Claims Act/fair housing settlement, which obligates the county to build some 750 units of affordable housing over the next seven years, much of it in mostly white communities that have shunned such housing:

Yes (12)—in favor of approval:

Jose Alvarado, D-Yonkers; Lois [...]

I can’t imagine anyone lacking for an opinion on the pending settlement in the False Claims Act case involving Westchester County, but here are some opinions to consider, from our editorials and contributions from others.

Here’s our editorial from Sunday. It calls on the Board of Legislators to Ok the agreement, which would have the county [...]