Power & Politics

Bob Ward, former Deputy New York State Comptroller and an Albany resident, joined Power & Politics this week.

Ward served as Deputy New York State Comptroller from 2012-2021, and prior to that was with Rockefeller Institute of Government. He also wrote a comprehensive look at State government workings in his book: New York State Government.

More recently, Ward has been analyzing the City of Albany's budget deficit, writing articles on Substack breaking down everything from the impact of State Aid to the city's debt to sales tax receipts.

Intro and Albany’s Fiscal Crisis0:00:00 – 0:03:46Who Bob Ward is, and how Albany’s $19 million deficit and fiscal crisis came into focus.

How Albany Ended Up in the Red0:03:46 – 0:08:59Revenue shortfalls, rising debt, borrowing to cover gaps, labor costs, and a heavily tax‑exempt property base.

State Aid, Grants, and Development Slowdown0:08:59 – 0:16:35Uncertain state aid, grant management challenges, reduced development, and lost PILOT revenue.

Landfill, Long‑Term Costs, and Debt0:16:35 – 0:18:50Rapp Road landfill closure obligations, bonding for environmental costs, and pension deferrals.

Services, Taxes, and Public Accountability0:18:50 – 0:23:21Impact on services and taxes, how city leaders are responding, the push for transparency, and how residents can engage.
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Meghan Keegan is the Chair of the City of Albany Common Council Finance, Taxation & Assessment Committee, provides an update on the City of Albany's finances. She discusses the movement towards bringing in the State Comptroller to review the City's finances, the impact State aid could have on the present, and future of the city's fiscal health, along with long-term concerns, and remedies to bring the City's budget back into balance.

[00:00] Intro & Albany’s Budget Crisis

[01:25] Where the Budget Stands NowQ4 reports, 2025 closeout, early 2026 savings and unanswered questions.

[03:02] Comptroller, Trust, and Impact on ResidentsWhy Keegan wants the state comptroller, council split, tax and affordability concerns.

[07:10] State Aid, Essential Services, and Tax‑Exempt Land19‑a and capital city funds, what “essential” means, 62% tax‑exempt land, regional hub costs.

[17:30] Housing, 81 Questions, and Data ProblemsHousing crunch, Keegan’s budget questions, mis‑stated revenue lines, need for better data.

[24:04] Oversight Reforms and Debt LimitsCouncil’s limited power under the charter, Local Law I of 2026, why borrowing can’t fix a structural deficit.

[31:17] New Administration, Comptroller Review, and Next StepsFraming the comptroller as a trust‑builder, collaboration with the mayor, aligning spending with real revenue.
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Former United States Department of the Interior Inspector General Mark Greenblatt speaks with Tom Eschen about the State of Minnesota moving forward with adding a Statewide Inspector General, and how that impacts the rest of the country when it comes to taxpayer money, especially regarding Medicaid. He also discusses the recent letter from the Department of Health and Human Services to States to prosecute Medicaid fraud. He discusses the DOJ's audit of the release of the Epstein files as well.

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In the midst of her 3rd annual "AI Week", NYS Senator Kristen Gonzalez (D-Queens) joined Power & Politics. 

Gonzalez discussed her legislation targeting chatbots and data centers, along with the current dynamic between the federal government and state government when it comes to regulating artificial intelligence. 

The second half of the podcast features John Thickstun, Assistant Professor at Cornell University. He discusses the fears surrounding AI, where the U.S. stacks up in the world when it comes to this technology, data centers, and who should craft policy in this industry.

00:00–00:52Opening: AI Week at the NY Capitol

00:52–05:37Guardrails for Chatbots

05:37–09:29AI Literacy, Surveillance Concerns & Corporate Responsibility

09:29–13:51Hyper-Scale Data Centers, Climate Law & Energy Grid Stress

13:51–18:12Worker Protection, Federal Overreach & New York’s AI Agenda

18:12–19:38Transition: From Statehouse to Lab – Introducing Cornell’s Perspective

19:38–27:06John Thickstun on AI’s Evolution, Economic Shocks & Historical Parallels

27:06–35:08Regulation, Copyright, US–China Competition & Energy for AI

35:08–39:30Data Center Debates, AI Efficiency & How People Should Prepare
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Lara Bryn sits down with NYS Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald for a one-on-one interview about Hantavirus and how the state is coordinating with federal health agencies to manage the outbreak. They discuss the risk level for New Yorkers, how the exposed New Yorkers are handling their quarantine in Nebraska and how monitoring will continue moving forward.
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