A Murrow Award winning podcast that brings you inside the issues impacting our communities. Every week, Tom Eschen sits down with local leaders and power brokers for a frank, sometimes blunt, conversation about the current political environment and how their decisions and stances shape and alter all of our lives. Whether it’s your tax bill, public safety, schools, immigration, or healthcare – politics affects every day and every aspect of your life. From the corridors of power to the heart of the debate, this podcast aims to ask the tough questions you want answered – to hold leaders accountable, to cut through the rhetoric and the canned responses. It’s a conversation that really matters.
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NYS Comptroller Democratic Primary Debate, Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle, June 12th, 2026
Friday, June 12, 2026 • Duration 45:29
Drew Warshaw and Raj Goyle, Democratic candidates for NYS Comptroller, discuss their priorities and motivations in running for office at the CBS6 Studios in Schenectady.
NYS Incumbent Comptroller Tom DiNapoli was invited, but declined the invitation.
0:00 – Introduction and Debate Setup0:24 – Opening Statements: Goyle2:38 – Opening Statements: Warshaw4:11 – Why Run Now? Trump, ICE, and Pension Politics8:23 – Palantir, ICE, and Israel Bonds Debate10:35 – What Is the Comptroller’s Job? Competing Definitions and Powers13:18 – Pension Fund, Housing Crisis, and Investing Outside New York19:24 – State Budget Growth, Tier 6, and Taxing the Rich21:44 – Medicaid, Utility Bills, and “Value for Money” in State Spending32:01 – Upstate Cities in Crisis, Bandwidth, and Municipal Audits (Buffalo Focus)37:16 – Is the Pension Fund Being Politicized? Fossil Fuels, Israel Bonds, Palantir45:13 – Candidate Contrast: Experience, Records, and Progressive Cred49:02 – Rapid-Fire Round: Refund Checks, AI, and Unclaimed Funds53:37 – Closing Statements and Final Appeals to Voters
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Bonus: Melinda Person, President of New York State United Teachers, June 8th, 2026
Monday, June 8, 2026 • Duration 14:32
NYSUT President Melinda Person discusses the organizations recent resolution calling for more restrictions regarding technology and Artificial Intelligence in schools in New York State.
00:00 – Introduction and NYSUT ed tech resolution00:16 – Parent concerns, screen time, and attention research01:31 – Assumption that more tech = more learning challenged03:29 – Computer-based testing vs. paper and pencil options04:28 – AI in classrooms, foundational learning, and guardrails06:07 – Companion chat bots, mental health apps, and student relationships07:05 – Teacher voice in ed tech decisions and AI-detected work09:48 – Technology balance, phone-free schools, and Albany next steps
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Saratoga Springs Mayor John Safford and Finance Commissioner JoAnne Kiernan on city's budget deficit, June 5th, 2026
Episode 136
Friday, June 5, 2026 • Duration 27:51
Saratoga Springs, NY — Following an update on the city's finances, displaying a potential $5.1 million budget deficit, the Saratoga City Council approved a hiring freeze on Tuesday night.
Finance Commissioner JoAnne Kiernan, who started her term in January 2026, showed the Council a powerpoint presentation detailing the City's financial situation.
Kiernan tied the deficit in part to increasing overtime costs, health insurance, retirement and liability insurance.
"Our employees and their benefits are 83% of our budget, so any employee-related thing is very expensive," Kiernan told CBS6 on Wednesday. "Everyone is seeing increased utility costs, increased material costs. It's just everything we're in an inflationary period, everything's more expensive."
She says the hiring freeze is an "interim solution", giving them time to look deeper into the budget itself. They will now form a recovery leadership team, review vacant positions, identify critical positions and review purchasing, all while developing a revised 2026 budget.
0:00 – Intro & Fiscal SnapshotSetup of the interview and basic outline of the deficit.
1:30 – Deficit Numbers & Unsound BudgetHow the gap grew and why 2025’s budget was a problem.
3:00 – Message to TaxpayersWhy residents need to understand the situation.
4:45 – Public Safety Costs & OvertimeFire/police staffing, overtime, and SAFER grant impact.
8:50 – Structural Budget IssuesOne-year budgeting and missing long-term projections.
10:45 – Hiring Freeze & Immediate ControlsFire hiring freeze and early cost-containment steps.
14:10 – Revenue & BelmontSales, occupancy, parking, cannabis, and Belmont’s net effect.
20:40 – Fund Balance RisksDrawdown of reserves and charter minimum concerns.
23:10 – Looking AheadVacancy review, contract talks, efficiencies, and audits.
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Dr. Dorcey Applyrs, Mayor of the City of Albany provides update on budget, June 1st, 2026
Monday, June 1, 2026 • Duration 26:53
Albany Mayor Dr. Dorcey Applyrs joins Power & Politics to provide an update regarding the city's finances. She discusses the recent historic State Aid for the City, totaling $44.4 million, which is intended to help mitigate the city's budget deficit now, and in the future. She also discusses the measures they're taking to help provide long term stability for the City's finances, and how they're approaching potential hurdles like Tier 6, the Rapp Road landfill closure, and more.
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NY 21st Congressional District Republican Primary Debate, Anthony Constantino vs. Robert Smullen, May 29th, 2026
Episode 135
Friday, May 29, 2026 • Duration 45:00
Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino and Assemblymember Robert Smullen, candidates in the Republican primary for New York's 21st Congressional District, took the CBS6 debate stage on Thursday evening.
They debated and discussed issues like the North Country, farmers, health care, immigration, President Trump, GOP endorsements and more.
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Bob Ward, former Deputy New York State Comptroller and an Albany resident on Albany Budget Deficit, May 26th, 2026
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 • Duration 25:43
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, Chair of the City of Albany Common Council Finance, Taxation & Assessment Committee, provides update on Albany's budget, May 22nd, 2026
Episode 134
Friday, May 22, 2026 • Duration 37:59
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 U.S. IG Mark Mark Greenblatt on impact of Minnesota's IG addition, oversight, Epstein Files audit, May 18th, 2026
Monday, May 18, 2026 • Duration 23:52
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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NYS Senator Kristen Gonzalez (D-Queens) and John Thickstun, Assistant Professor at Cornell University, on Artificial Intelligence, May 15th, 2026
Episode 133
Friday, May 15, 2026 • Duration 42:17
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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Bonus: Lara Bryn discusses Hantavirus with NYS Health Commissioner Dr. James McDonald
Thursday, May 14, 2026 • Duration 16:01
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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