Viewsday
Analysis, discussion and opinions by members of Newsday's editorial board.
Anne Michaud
Anne Michaud is a member of the Newsday editorial board. She has written about politics, government, education and transportation for Newsday since 2008. You can reach her at anne.michaud@newsday.com, and read her blog at www.annemichaud.com.
Up on the Board: City newsstands, Yonkers tolls, and Tom Croci's leave from Islip
Photo credit: handout
The editorial board is saddened by the terrible story coming out of Hofstra University today. We're watching to see what more information surfaces about the shooting.
Today, we’re working on an editorial about New York City newsstands, which are seeking to lift a price cap on what they sell. Currently, all of their offerings, except for printed material, must cost no more than $5. We support...
Read more »Up on the Board: IRS and political spending, safer clothing factories
As President Barack Obama fires Steven T. Miller as the head of the IRS, the editorial board believes that the agency must continue to clean house. IRS agents searched for “tea party” and “patriot” in the names of organizations to target audits. The agency wanted to determine if their tax exempt, nonprofit status was authentic – or if they were in fact supporting political campaigns. Accusations...
Read more »Up on the Board: Vito Lopez cleared, blood-alcohol limits, and fair trade clothing
Photo credit: Bryan Pace
The editorial board is interested in two reports released today about Assemblyman Vito Lopez and the charges of sexual harassment chargebrought against him. Staten Island DA Dan Donavan cleared him of criminal charges but pointed to the Albany cover-up as the problem. Later the J-COPE the ethics board revealed that the powerful Brooklyn Democrat, with an authorization by Assembly Speaker Shelly...
Read more »Up on the Board: AP phone records, school taxes, and clothing retailers' disclosure
Photo credit: Getty Images
The editorial board is outraged by revelations that federal prosecutors secretly obtained records of calls for more than 20 telephone lines belonging to the Associated Press and its journalists, including their cellphones and home phones. There may be an issue of national security here, but at the moment, there are too many unanswered questions to make that judgment. Such as, were all other avenues...
Read more »Up on the Board: IRS and the tea party, Pearson Plc, and a Nikola Tesla museum
Photo credit: Nikola Tesla Museum; Handout
The IRS owes the nation honest answers about who is responsible for letting politics creep into its process, targeting groups with “tea party” or “patriot” in their names. President Barack Obama is facing perhaps the biggest crisis of his presidency, and he must take steps to reassure the American public that he’s on top of the situation and is going to take action. Rita Ciolli, editor of the Opinion...
Read more »Up on the Board: Readers' mail, veterans services, non-citizens voting
Letters to the editor this week are focusing on the DREAM Act and other immigration reform, congressional hearings on the Benghazi attacks, and the upcoming school budget votes (Tuesday, May 21). Stay tuned for these readers’ letters in the newspaper and online.
For editorials, we’re still looking at Suffolk County jails for Sunday. With a large new facility in Yaphank, what happens to the...
Read more »Up on the Board: Benghazi cover-up and Suffolk County jails
Photo credit: AP
The editorial board had a long discussion today about what’s coming out of Congressional hearings about the Benghazi, Libya, attack last Sept. 11, where four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens, were killed.
At first, we wondered if we have anything new to say. In past editorials, we've condemned efforts by the Obama administration to cover its mistakes, and we’ve supported the 29...
Read more »Up on the Board: Nassau Community president search, veterans benefits delays
Photo credit: Barry Sloan
The editorial board thinks Nassau Community College should start over in its search for a new president. At this time, we’re planning to advocate for that in tomorrow’s paper.
We’re also keeping an eye on revelations from federal prosecutors, who have names of additional elected officials secretly tape-recorded by former Queens state Sen. Shirley Huntley, a Democrat. Huntley is due to be sentenced...
Read more »Up on the Board: Sexual assault in the military, and drunken bus drivers
Photo credit: Barry Sloan
The editorial board is appalled that the head of the Air Force’s Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Office has been arrested … on a charge of sexual battery. Meanwhile, sexual assault in the military is increasing. What’s needed is a change of culture. Would it help to have more women in the chain of command? Or have top brass lose their jobs when an incident like this happens? NY Sen. Kirsten...
Read more »Up on the Board: Albany corruption, Nassau's court loss, and binding arbitration
Photo credit: AP
It may be that federal prosecutors will be the ones to set de facto term limits in Albany, as yet another denizen fell from grace today. Sen. John Sampson (D-Brooklyn), at one time the co-majority leader of the State Senate, surrendered to the FBI to face charges of embezzlement, obstruction of justice and witness tampering.
Since April 1, federal prosecutors have charged a state senator,...
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