Only in New York

The only problem with sitting by the water at a friend's cottage on Thompson's Lake near here today was looking across at the state park - and seeing that it was mostly empty.

On a sunny, plus-90-degree day in August? What gives?

Turns out some state parks are closed for part of every week this season because of the state's fiscal problems.

And for those keeping score this IS the same state where newspapers reported today that four members of the Legislature are simultaneously collecting a pension and a salary for being lawmakers That's right. According to the state comptroller, each of the long-tenured lawmakers temporarily "resigned'' from the Legislature at some point over the past few years to be eligible to collect a pension - and then immediately resumed their old duties so they could continue to collect a salary. This is what is known as "double-dipping'' and seems particularly unconscionable when there isn't even enough money to keep parks open full time.

And it IS the same state where, as I mentioned last week, the Legislature was set to approve a new $120,000-a-year job for the son of a senator before Andrew Cuomo blew the whistle.

After I wrote about a pleasant experience on the Barge Canal last Saturday, a state official wrote to me to warn that with budget woes and low usage, continued public access to the canals is no longer assured. Good thing I got to see it when I did.

All sounds pretty crazy to me. I don't think it's just because I'm not around the Capitol on a daily basis any more to witness this stuff. I think things really are whackier than ever. Can't wait to get back. Seems like I'm missing out on some pretty good column opportunities.