City & State's best stories of 2015
While corruption arrests and cultural change in Albany may have dominated the headlines this year, our editorial team covered several other groundbreaking stories. Here’s a look at some of the best from City & State in 2015.
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Remembering Mario Cuomo
The year started with a somber note. On Jan. 1, former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo died at the age of 82. The charismatic and humble Democrat was governor for 12 years, from 1983 to 1994, and in that time he left a lasting impact on the state. In our special tribute issue, we heard from the people whose lives were forever changed by Mario Cuomo – the close aides and colleagues who worked for him, his political rivals and the journalists who sparred with him.
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New York City’s property tax code
You would think that a story trying to explain New York City’s property tax code would be straightforward, possibly even boring. Well, if the tax code was fair and efficient, that would be the case. But in New York City the system is not fair, efficient, or even sensical. That’s why similar houses of size and value five blocks apart have property tax payments that vary by thousands of dollars. Our Jon Lentz wrote the story, and City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito waived the magazine around on the floor of the chamber to decry the unjust system. Yet there still hasn’t been any action taken on the measure, which requires the state Legislature to enact reforms.
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Cuomo goes to Cuba
The diplomatic re-establishment of ties to the island nation of Cuba, just 90 miles south of the United States, was a big national story in late 2014 and into 2015, and Gov. Andrew Cuomo was not going to miss the opportunity to capitalize on the opportunity to travel to the country and investigate potential economic ties. The reality of this endeavor appears to be much more complex than the simple narrative, though, as our Jon Lentz found out by talking to people on the streets of Havana ahead of Cuomo’s hyped-up mission.
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The terrible twos
This was one of our more colorful covers – literally. The accompanying story was – and still is – a great primer for the upcoming legislative session. Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and state Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan are heading into their second year as legislative leaders, still out to prove that their members made the correct pick. They are also heading into the year together, and might still be able to find enough common ground to support each other in the “three men in a room” talks with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. When discussing the corruption and culture in Albany it is easy to forget that things as small as the personalities of the leadership can make a huge difference.
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Education in exile
We published this story before the anti-refugee fervor had taken hold in the state and country. Our goal in writing this piece wasn’t to address the larger issues involving immigration and refugee integration. We just wanted to explore New York’s system for educating the thousands of refugees who are already here – including Buffalo teenager Henreh Too. Through Henreh’s experiences, the piece details some of the gaps in what is clearly a well-intentioned and generally well-run system while also exploring how potential school closures and other restrictions could disrupt the path to success for refugees.
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Is Rikers Island beyond saving?
In partnership with City Limits, we launched a special series exploring the idea of closing Rikers Island. The correctional facility is likely not going to close anytime soon, but there has been a drumbeat of calls for the city to move past the antiquated system of housing inmates on an island. We looked at the facility’s history, the reforms underway, and some of the logistical nightmares that would come with closing the jail, with a goal of sparking a debate over how to better house those in the criminal justice system.
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El camino a Somos
For the second year in a row, we did a special issue ahead of the Somos el Futuro conference in San Juan, Puerto Rico, covering the stories impacting the island and the diaspora back in New York, including insights from columnists and elected officials. The big theme was the island’s drowning debt – which is sure to dominate talk well into 2016.
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The borough series
This was a City & State first this year. We did special issues focusing on all five boroughs, starting with Queens and moving to the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan and ending up in Staten Island. Each magazine had its own flavor and look, while also tackling some of the issues most important to each borough.
NEXT STORY: 2015: The year of Preet