| Albany is now survival of the fittest (Ithaca Journal)
It wouldn't be surprising if members of the state Legislature these days feel like a herd of antelopes on some African savannah, cowering as the lions, or in this case "reformers," circle around them.
Who will they pick off next? Better not fall behind the herd. They will show no mercy.
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The herd's very continued existence could be threatened.
The mother's milk for this political herd has long been special-interest money, which not only makes them virtually invulnerable to challenges at the polls, but also pays, in many instances, their cell-phone bills, their car leases or other ostensibly political, but in reality mostly personal, expenses.
Spitzer said in typically blunt language what he wants to do about that.
"To neutralize the army of special interests, we must disarm it," he said. "In the coming weeks, we will submit a reform package to replace the weakest campaign-finance laws in the nation with the strongest."
The herd gamely applauded some of these statements, not daring, at least not yet, to challenge the creature who at the moment is the King of the New York political jungle.
Spitzer by himself would be daunting enough, but it started to look this week like the prosecutors will be hunting in packs.
Beyond the Albany probers, other hunters loom to threaten the legislative herd.
Raise the bar on ethics (Newsday)
Legislators should give Spitzer's executive orders the force of law
Work, Albany (Rochester Democrat and Chronicle)
State lawmakers' usual light schedule won't cut it this year
Gov. Eliot Spitzer, in his State of the State address last week, filled the Assembly chamber with a lot of vision and an impressive agenda for change. But for legislators in attendance, Spitzer fundamentally was calling them to work. Hard. One doesn't get through, or even start on, a to-do list as long as Spitzer's without putting in long hours.
What did lawmakers in the Assembly and Senate do in response? Pick up their shovels and axes, you say? Start drilling down on the tough issues of upstate economic revival, ethics and lobbying reform, authority reconstruction, property taxes, court reorganization, school funding formulas and others? No. They left town after choosing their caucus leaders. They're not scheduled to return to open session until this afternoon.
That must not be the pattern for the coming year. Spitzer's prospectus is too long, complex and important to be handled by a Legislature working part time in Albany. Most of the people who elected these politicians work five days a week at the tasks they've been assigned. The task for lawmakers is to pass good legislation and, as Spitzer correctly outlined it, to undo a lot of the past decisions that have made this group famously dysfunctional.
That will take a full work week, not three days and start your engines.
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Spitzer's first week has been all about change. With a capital "C.'' The Legislature should follow suit by committing to more time on task.
Cracking Down On Corruption (Gotham Gazette)
 The crowd clapped when Governor Eliot Spitzer announced in State of the State Speech last week that he would seek to reform Albany. But cynics could easily note that applause is cheap.
Sitting behind Spitzer as he spoke was Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno, under federal investigation for misusing state funds. Joining Bruno on the podium was Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Together, the two men have set much of the tone in Albany for the last 12 years and preside over a legislature where two members are under criminal indictment, two have had recent run-ins with the law for assault, and numerous others have left under a cloud.
Equally worrisome to many reformers are actions that are perfectly legal. Lax regulations and violations of what laws that do exist have contributed to Albany's reputation as one of the worst state capitals in the nation.
"You read in every newspaper how many people have been investigated and indicted and convicted," said Suzanne Novak, deputy director of the Brennan Center for Justice, "There are many factors that go into this," Novak said but, for starters, the state does not have strict enough laws and does not adequately enforce those laws that it does have.
I really can't recommend Gotham Gazette's piece enough. Go read the whole thing, especially the "rougue's gallery" at the end. Citizen's Union has got themselves a heck of site there. |
