End secret court reform
Of all the courts in New York, the one that reaches most intimately into people’s lives and tends to be the most controversial is Family Court. So when it comes to reforming it, one would think the state would be as transparent as possible.
Yet for reasons that elude us, the Cuomo administration has decided to erect a wall of secrecy around a commission created in June to — get this — “improve the fairness and transparency of the Family Court system.” Members of the 20-member panel are threatened with fines of $10,000 if they divulge “confidential” deliberations about the commission’s work.
This isn’t about specific cases, but about the day-to-day operations of the court and how it can best serve the public. What could possibly be confidential about that?
The administration doesn’t offer even a lame answer to that question, saying only that “many government deliberations occur in a mix of public and private settings.”
That doesn’t mean they have to. And in the case of a court, especially
To comment: one that deals with child custody issues, divorce, juvenile delinquency and other deeply personal matters, a robust public discussion that defines the problems and need for reform from the start is entirely in order.
U.S. must protect its Afghan friends
There was never going to be a perfect way to withdraw the last U.S. troops from Afghanistan and end what had become this country ’s longest war — nearly 20 years. Whether the current regime endures or falls to the fundamentalist Taliban, which the U.s.-led coalition ousted from power after the Sept. 11 attacks, is largely out of America’s hands.
But one thing this country can do is protect Afghans who risked their lives to support and assist U.S. troops and diplomatic personnel by providing interpreter services and intelligence.
The Biden administration has already signaled plans to evacuate Afghans who helped the U.S. effort by flying them to other countries while their visa applications are processed. So far, some 18,000 Afghan nationals, and tens of thousands of their family members, have applied for visas.
The House of Representatives has passed legislation to streamline the visa process, and the Senate is now considering it.
We’re well aware that the U.S. track record on immigration and asylum was poor under former President Donald Trump, who made hostility to immigrants an ideological signature. But if America is going to live up to its ideals, which include supporting democracy around the world, it can’t be known as a country that turns its back on its friends, whether they’re nations or individuals. A strong and speedy bipartisan vote in the Senate would send a message.
Shave and a haircut, not blue
Your barber or hair stylist might not have know this, but until this past week, it was illegal to cut hair or do other barbery stuff on a Sunday in New York. That ended with Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s signing of a bill to finally lift the “blue law” restriction that dated back to the 1800s.
How many more such outdated laws are on the books, who knows — but it would be worth the state finding out and striking them as well. In the meantime, here’s to not enforcing them.