Friday, March 13, 2026

News and Ideas Worth Sharing

Alan Chartock

Alan Chartock is the president and chief executive officer of WAMC/Northeast Public Radio, a National Public Radio affiliate, a position he has held since 1981. He was professor of political science at SUNY New Paltz and was a professor emeritus of communications at the State University of New York; and executive publisher and project director for the Legislative Gazette, a weekly newspaper staffed by college intern reporters covering New York state government.

written articles

ALAN CHARTOCK: Coffee is an addiction

Whether coffee acts as a stimulant or depressant, it’s clear that we can become addicted to it. Just go a few days without your morning cup and see how your head feels. It’s not pretty. In my case, I would describe my addiction as drinking it without really enjoying it.

ALAN CHARTOCK: Who commits murder?

No matter how unlikely it is that we might believe ourselves capable of committing murder, almost none of us would actually deprive someone of their life. Yet, with some regularity we see it happen.

ALAN CHARTOCK: Takeaways from a childhood in the Upper West Side and Fire Island

Somewhere along the line, we learn from the jobs and clout that our parents had. We learn, for example, about power and the limitations that come living on the cusp of poverty.

I PUBLIUS: After many years of two weekly columns, this just might be my ‘-30-‘ column

Many columnists, and some other news folks, put “-30-” at the end of a particular column to let the editor know that the piece is finished. So, this might just be my “-30-” column, but it probably will not be.

I PUBLIUS: Our police are a reflection of our society’s power structure

It is undeniable that the amount of skin pigmentation an individual has or doesn’t have becomes an important ingredient in the overall way we measure worthiness in our society.

I PUBLIUS: Why are New Yorkers flying the coop?

Back in the day, regular working people could afford to rent an apartment in New York. Now, those days are gone because most people just can’t afford the massive rents that are being charged.

I PUBLIUS: We are lucky to have Dr. Pier Boutin living here in Great Barrington with us

I never fail to find it amazing that here in these Berkshire hills of ours we can find extraordinary people with fascinating stories to tell. There’s probably one such person right around the corner from you.

ALAN CHARTOCK: For better or worse, New York means Manhattan

As a Manhattanite, I lived in “The City.” My other-borough friends would quite frequently tell their parents, “I’m going to The City to visit Chartock.” “The City,” of course, meant Manhattan.

I PUBLIUS: Great Barrington is a-changin’, not all for the better

From the department of “I Hate To Say I Told You So But I Told You So,” I did write that putting a rotary at the junction of Route 7 and State Routes 41 and 23 would end up in a chaotic mess. I was right. In fact, it seems to take forever now when it never did before.

ALAN CHARTOCK: We do live in perilous times

While we all know that there is no way to fully eliminate crime in a big city like the Big Apple, there are things that we can do to protect ourselves from the crooks who share our streets.

I PUBLIUS: There is something in that Berkshire air

It may be the changing seasons, or the skiing, or the arts, or the restaurants, or the spirit of tolerance or the common understanding of equality and what that means to the people of our community. But most stay in the Berkshires once they show up.

I PUBLIUS: There are good noise disturbances, there are also bad ones

Noise can be good or bad. We lived in an apartment on 96th Street in New York where the crosstown bus shifted gears. To this day, I think that’s one reason why I have trouble sleeping.

ALAN CHARTOCK: Blue New York vs. Blue Massachusetts

So what is the difference between Massachusetts and New York? Well, there are a number of differences. The history and culture of the politics of the two states are entirely different.

I Publius: If you’re a millionaire, it only seems right that you pay your fair share

The Massachusetts ballot contains a question regarding an amendment to the State Constitution that would raise the taxes on people who earn more than a million dollars a year, in order for them to pay their “fair share.”

I Publius: Undrinkable tap water in Housatonic and insufficient public transportation in Great Barrington

This week, my friend Nan thinks a lot is going wrong, ranging from what she considers the decrepit state of public transportation in Great Barrington to the fact that the poor people of Housatonic have a catastrophic situation with their drinking water.

I Publius: Do you remember your favorite teacher?

I wonder if wherever he might be, my wonderful teacher, Mr. Steiker, knows that one of his former students thinks about him all the time and remembers him with such fondness.
spot_img

The Edge Is Free To Read.

But Not To Produce.