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I understand that stores like Walmart, Target and pharmacies are vulnerable to rampant theft but their practice of locking up low-cost products (e.g. shaving cream, razors, soap, deodorant), which then means trying to find a customer service rep to access those products, has left me frustrated and converted me to Amazon for any remotely competitively priced product.

With a click of the mouse, I have free, next-day delivery (for Prime members).

In fact, since I'm not taking that trip to the store for secured products, I’ve begun ordering ordinary, non-secured products (e.g. paper towels) if they are reasonably, competitively priced. It's fast, easy and I don’t even have to leave the kitchen table.

I don’t know the difference between what these stores lose to online sales caused by this practice vs. what they would lose to theft, but I know that I’m very comfortable with the service and costs that Amazon provides vs. the frustration I’ve experienced with these stores' security practices.

Published May 19, 2025

I read with dismay about the proposed plan to build 250 apartments at the site of the former Uncle Sam Parking Garage in Troy. Parking has been a problem in the city for decades. The problem is getting worse; a former Russell Sage College dormitory and classrooms on Congress Street are being converted into 71 market-rate apartments.

It is almost impossible to find reasonable parking near the Troy Farmers Market on Saturdays. Troy City Music Hall has wonderful performances but, again, parking is an issue, especially when residents are home.

The city administrations for years has been irresponsible in addressing this issue. They have an open invitation to businesses to come to Troy. The city has grown and developed. Parking for customers and attendees at events needs to be addressed to encourage support for these businesses.

I am hoping the current administration will have an enlightened view in addressing this need now and in the future, especially as the future of other properties such as the Atrium is under consideration.

Published May 19, 2025

The four-way Democratic Primary for Albany mayor is surreal. Candidate debates are chock full of promises and initiatives, with no common sense expressed that the state and city budgets are headed into massive federal revenue shortfalls. Particularly silly is the once-and-always chestnut of downtown development.

This time, development hopes are focused on building a new soccer stadium in the wretched parking lot district. Put aside that said a government-paid-for stadium might get used 30 nights or so a year and ask how this is supposed to attract more businesses and residential development into downtown? Why would private money, which has many alternatives, care to invest in downtown Albany? Because of a mostly empty soccer stadium?

A case-in-point is Capital Repertory’s excellent new theater space on North Pearl Street. The theater was built with significant government support, but so far has had no impact on its immediate surroundings. No new restaurants, no new housing. Probably a significant portion of the Rep’s audience drives to the theater and then, for the most part, returns to the suburbs. It is estimable that the Rep chose to stay in Albany, but a broader economic benefit is not discernible.

Albany’s core problem is the paucity of private business investment. If our next mayor could think outside the soccer box, Central Avenue offers an opportunity. The avenue is currently a hodgepodge of mom-and-pop shops, a few old-line businesses hanging on, and dozens of boarded-up storefronts. At a fraction of the cost of building a moribund soccer stadium, the city might create a special economic zone, eliminating city and school taxes on all of Central Avenue. This could run for, say, seven years, then taxes would be phased in. Would this guarantee a flow of private investment? There are no guarantees, but what else would inspire entrepreneurs, recent immigrants, and the creative to invest in Albany?

As for the parking lot district, how about a decent bus terminal and parkland?

Published May 19, 2025

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Last year, the city of Albany decided to put fluorides in Albany's water supply to reduce the rate of dental issues. Fluoridation might begin late this year. Water fluoridation opponents believe that even if fluoridation reduces tooth decay, if it cannot be proven safe, then it must be rejected.

A federal court decision last September by Judge Edward Chen and the National Toxicology Program........

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