POLITICS & ELECTIONS

News about Government and Citizenship in Central New York

• Demonstrators: Don't cut school aid
A group of retired school teachers joined parents and community members Monday to urge state legislators to block a proposed midyear cut in state aid and instead investigate creative ways to bridge the budget deficit.

• Records Go to College
Rep. James Walsh will donate his congressional records, spanning 20 years of Central New York, national and international history, to his alma mater, St. Bonaventure University.

• Paterson takes questions on fixing budget mess
In Syracuse Tuesday, Gov. David Paterson made it clear that every New Yorker, every state agency and every interest group will feel the sting of budget cuts, but he was uncharacteristically quiet about what exactly will be slashed.

• Maffei chats with Obama
Recently elected Democrat Dan Maffei was meeting with members of his campaign staff Tuesday when his cell phone rang.

• The Q-and-A with the governor about the state budget shortfall
Almost 1,000 people packed the Onondaga County Civic Center's Crouse-Hinds Theater for the question-and-answer session Tuesday with Gov. David Paterson. Fourteen people got to ask questions. Here they are, with the governor's answers:

• Obama's swearing-in a hot ticket
Central New Yorkers are scrambling to make travel plans to attend the inauguration of Barack Obama as the nation's 44th president.

• Legislators try again on Tobacco 19 law
A proposal that would bar stores from selling cigarettes to 18-year-olds in Onondaga County is about to take its fourth trip through the Legislature.

• Legislators reject sewer line from Madison County
A key Onondaga County Legislature committee shot down a proposal Monday to temporarily hook up a housing tract planned in neighboring Madison County to Onondaga's sewer system.

• State GOP is lost, looking for new map
Albany - Many of the folding chairs at the Mack Center at Hofstra University were empty on that summer day in 2006 at the New York Republican convention. Candidates and party faithful seemed to almost accept the coming Democratic wave, which would take every statewide office that year.

• A barrier fell in Syracuse in 1961
The morning after history was made, Malchester Reeves dug from a box of treasures a crumbling, yellowed 47-year-old newspaper clipping.

• Lost GOP looks for new road map
Albany - Many of the folding chairs at the Mack Center at Hofstra University were empty on that summer day in 2006 at the New York Republican convention. Candidates and party faithful seemed to almost accept the coming Democratic wave, which would take every statewide office that year.

• Advantages of incumbency hard to beat
State Senate and Assembly incumbents trounced their competition on Election Night, winning every seat up for grabs, despite fierce challenges from at least a few opponents.

• What should NY cut? Your ideas wanted
Gov. David Paterson wants to know what Central New Yorkers think about the state budget, and he's coming to Syracuse to hear your ideas.

• Candidates spent more than $2M on CNY TV ads
Dale Sweetland stuck to news programs.