Power & Politics

Blake Gendebien and Stuart Amoriell are competing in the New York 21st Congressional District Democratic Primary, and debated at the CBS6 studios prior to the election. The moderator is CBS6's Tom Eschen.

00:00:00 – Introduction and Debate Rules
00:01:31 – Stuart Amoriell Opening Statement
00:03:11 – Blake Gendebien Opening Statement
00:04:41 – “What Kind of Democrat Are You?” – Ideology and Coalition-Building
00:09:04 – Key Differences Between the Candidates
00:12:07 – Immigration Policy: Border Security, ICE, and Guest Workers
00:21:56 – Farmers, Gas Prices, and the Iran War Debate
00:29:25 – “Showing Up”: Constituent Services and Presence in the District
00:34:34 – Trump Administration, Checks and Balances, and Use of Power
00:41:33 – Establishment vs. Grassroots: Endorsements, Money in Politics, and Motivation to Run
00:45:43 – Green Energy vs. Farmland: Solar, Hydro, and Local Rates
00:49:43 – Rapid Fire: Biden 2024, 2028 Democratic Field, and the Olympics in Lake Placid
00:51:10 – Blake Gendebien Closing Statement
00:52:41 – Stuart Amoriell Closing Statement and Sign-off

This debate was recorded on June 11, 2026

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Albany County Executive Dan McCoy joined Power & Politics on Thursday, discussing his decision to pull the plan for a new bus terminal in Albany's South End.

The decision came less than 24 hours after McCoy posted an update on the project on social media, saying: "The Advance Albany County Alliance, in partnership with Albany County, is advancing plans for the development of a new Intercity Bus Terminal at 106 South Pearl Street."

As for what changed, McCoy said it was a buildup of certain opposition to the project.

00:00 – Intro
Tom Eschen introduces Albany County Executive Dan McCoy and the South End bus terminal debate.

00:29 – Why this site
McCoy explains why bus companies wanted the former McDonald’s site and his vision to fix an “eyesore.”

03:53 – Pushback and pivot
He describes local opposition and shifting the property toward arena overflow and a potential sale.

13:21 – Timeline and funding
McCoy talks about timeline of project and lays out how the project fit into a larger downtown funding package.

17:41 – Dropping the plan
He explains why he’s walking away to focus on other county priorities and projects.

19:40 – Was it worth it?
Tom Eschen asks if the process was a waste; McCoy reflects on loud voices versus broader community sentiment.

21:37 – What should go there?
He recounts alternative ideas and argues the bus terminal was one of few viable options.

23:08 – Working with the new mayor
McCoy says future city projects will follow the new mayor’s vision, with the county in a supporting role.

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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 Setup
0:24 – Opening Statements: Goyle
2:38 – Opening Statements: Warshaw
4:11 – Why Run Now? Trump, ICE, and Pension Politics
8:23 – Palantir, ICE, and Israel Bonds Debate
10:35 – What Is the Comptroller’s Job? Competing Definitions and Powers
13:18 – Pension Fund, Housing Crisis, and Investing Outside New York
19:24 – State Budget Growth, Tier 6, and Taxing the Rich
21:44 – Medicaid, Utility Bills, and “Value for Money” in State Spending
32:01 – Upstate Cities in Crisis, Bandwidth, and Municipal Audits (Buffalo Focus)
37:16 – Is the Pension Fund Being Politicized? Fossil Fuels, Israel Bonds, Palantir
45:13 – Candidate Contrast: Experience, Records, and Progressive Cred
49:02 – Rapid-Fire Round: Refund Checks, AI, and Unclaimed Funds
53:37 – Closing Statements and Final Appeals to Voters

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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 resolution
00:16 – Parent concerns, screen time, and attention research
01:31 – Assumption that more tech = more learning challenged
03:29 – Computer-based testing vs. paper and pencil options
04:28 – AI in classrooms, foundational learning, and guardrails
06:07 – Companion chat bots, mental health apps, and student relationships
07:05 – Teacher voice in ed tech decisions and AI-detected work
09:48 – Technology balance, phone-free schools, and Albany next steps

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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 Snapshot
Setup of the interview and basic outline of the deficit.

1:30 – Deficit Numbers & Unsound Budget
How the gap grew and why 2025’s budget was a problem.

3:00 – Message to Taxpayers
Why residents need to understand the situation.

4:45 – Public Safety Costs & Overtime
Fire/police staffing, overtime, and SAFER grant impact.

8:50 – Structural Budget Issues
One-year budgeting and missing long-term projections.

10:45 – Hiring Freeze & Immediate Controls
Fire hiring freeze and early cost-containment steps.

14:10 – Revenue & Belmont
Sales, occupancy, parking, cannabis, and Belmont’s net effect.

20:40 – Fund Balance Risks
Drawdown of reserves and charter minimum concerns.

23:10 – Looking Ahead
Vacancy review, contract talks, efficiencies, and audits.

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

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

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

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

Services, Taxes, and Public Accountability
0:18:50 – 0:23:21
Impact 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 Now
Q4 reports, 2025 closeout, early 2026 savings and unanswered questions.

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

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

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

[24:04] Oversight Reforms and Debt Limits
Council’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 Steps
Framing 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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