Things change necessarily. Sometimes for the better; sometimes the results are the same.

I’ve changed the name of my blog because I’m no longer the editor (or publisher) of The Empire Page. My new title:  Editor Emeritus.  I’ll let the new co-publishers introduce themselves, which they promise to do shortly.

I began serving as editor of The Empire Page in January 2000 when my company, Empire Information Services, became a minority partner in PoliticalNewsToday.com, LLC, which purchased The Empire Page from its founder, Chris Chichester. In 2007, I purchased the shares belonging to EIS’ successor, readMedia, and served as managing partner/editor/publisher until May 1 of this year.

In 2008  I began to expand the content portion of the Empire Page with an eye to doing more than just helping people monitor the news. I added a poll question of the week, blogs, interviews and roundtables.  As a one-man orchestra (managing subscriptions, selling advertising, conducting interviews, doing the bookkeeping, etc.), my blog posts were necessarily last on my to-do list. Now that I’m freed of all those obligations, I plan to post more frequently.

I call my new blog “Another Take” because I believe I offer a unique perspective on NYS government & politics.  Unique for several reasons: the length of time I’ve been around Albany (arrived in 1966), the fact that except for working for two lobbying organizations for a short period of time in the early 1980s I’ve not been a participant, and the fact that I am not affiliated with any political party or organization. The axes I would grind are not personal except with regard to the Adirondacks where I am a property owner and summer resident. What’s best for New Yorkers statewide in the present and the future is my primary concern.

I hope those of you who read this post will “subscribe” so you’ll know when I’ve posted a new piece. I look forward to your feedback and will gladly be corrected when I make a mistake. I also hope I change a few minds because that’s how democracies should work. We ought not be so locked into our ideology fortresses that we can’t hear opposing views.

If I do a good job, maybe I can play a small role in making things change for the better.