Friday Clippage: 'Hit The Road, Pat' Edition

The two most feared corruption-busters at the scandal-scarred Capitol huddled yesterday at a private lunch meeting that's sure to send shivers throughout state government, The Post has learned.

Albany County District Attorney David Soares, a Democrat, and state Lobbying Commission executive director David Grandeau, a Republican, met at an Albany-area restaurant to see how their offices can work more closely together to crack down on corruption.

Oh, to be a fly on that wall....

Junk gerrymandering. Legislative district lines should be drawn, as they are in many other states, by nonpartisan panels. Now the process is controlled by political leaders, who conjure up bizarrely shaped districts - which often divide communities - to create "safe" districts packed with their party's voters. Their goal is consolidating their power and controlling individual lawmakers. Spitzer should seek to increase electoral competition and voter choice.

Publicly finance state races. Spitzer has voluntarily limited how much and from whom he will accept campaign funds. Although his standards are far more restrictive than the state's, they still are obscene. Any individuals or organizations that can contribute $10,000, Spitzer's self-imposed limit, want something for their money. And the appearance of "pay to play" is corrosive. Members of Congress can only collect $2,100 per person per contest, and that's still too high to restore public confidence. Taxpayers fund many causes. What could be a better one than limiting the influence of money on campaigns by publicly financing them, assuring that candidates aren't beholden to political cash cows?

Go on a reduced pork diet. Legislative grants, known in Albany as member items, must be scaled back and the process for awarding them to local groups must be carefully scrutinized. Although the grants often serve useful purposes, they are awarded based on political influence. Majority party lawmakers get far more to dole out than minority, even though they are elected often by voters of both parties and in similar sized districts. Legislative leaders decide which lawmakers to reward. In turn, the legislators pick the groups they want to help - and often, be helped by - in their re-election bids. Spitzer should set a tone by refusing his share of this political slush fund.

Much Pataki-ness on the flip.

Not for the job he was expected to do, anyway. Often, not even for work.

To put it bluntly, Ol' George let New York down.

Ran off, in pursuit of his own interests.

Even as taxes across the state squeezed out residents and businesses.

And political corruption mushroomed.

And, later, Ground Zero languished.

Indeed, even as his own Republican Party withered on the vine.

The Poughkeepsie Journal goes on a Pataki bender:

And one by the soon to be ex-gov himself:

While no one can predict what tomorrow will bring, New Yorkers can go forward with confidence knowing the Empire State is stronger today than it was 12 years ago, and that the future is full of promise.

Don't forget your mittens, Gov. It gets awfully cold in Cedar Rapids...