| Pity poor Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi. In fact, Pity all the Hevesis. They are certainly having a rough stretch. It would be so much easier for them if there wasn't all that damn goo-goo transparency going around these days.
Assemblyman Gets Personal About Project Sunlight
The Assembly Democrats held a closed-door conference meeting yesterday to review Gov. Eliot Spitzer's budget and decide what they will include in their own spending proposal for 2008-09.
When talk turned to the $1 million for AG Andrew Cuomo's Project Sunlight - the on-line clearing house of public information on all things state government, including lawmakers, lobbyists, campaign finance, member items and legislation - one member stood and vehemently opposed it:
Assemblyman Andrew Hevesi.
According to several of his Assembly colleagues, Hevesi argued that Cuomo will use Project Sunlight to "attack members" and demonstrate that he is living up to his pledge to be the Sheriff of State Street.
Hevesi, who declined to comment, is reportedly furious with Cuomo for going after Hevesi's father, the disgraced former state Comptroller Alan Hevesi, who lost his post due to Chauffeurgate.
Cuomo has invoked the Martin Act to investigate an alleged pay-to-play scheme involving the $150 billion state pension fund on Hevesi's watch.
The SEC is also involved in the probe, which has focused on Alan Hevesi, his longtime political consultant Hank Morris, who has made millions of dollars worth of placement fees off pension fund deals, a number of former OSC staffers and Andrew Hevesi's older brother, Dan.
Although it's unlikely Cuomo's $1 million will be left out of the Assembly budget, Hevesi's angry outcry was received with a smattering of applause from his colleagues, sources say.
Boo freakin hoo, Andy. Guess what? You and your fellow legislators work for us, got it? Project Sunlight makes available to the public data that they have been denied for far too long, pal. In fact, much of the data provided by Project Sunlight would be illegal to conceal in many states, states like Florida for instance.
Forgive us if maybe we aren't inclined to take you and your ilk at your word any longer. The data provided to New Yorkers by Project Sunlight belongs to the public, sport. It's amazing to me that the stinking Albany status quo was able to keep it from us for so long, but those days are over. Hallelujah, I say.
So spare me you outrage, Andy. That goes for the other Assemblymen who applauded your little tirade. We will our state government back, Andy. We will reform the way we do things in Albany. A huge portion of that task, a task that will certainly not be easy, is introducing even more transparency to the process.
Project Sunlight is just the beginning, Andy. If you can't stand the heat now, I'd suggest you get the hell out of the kitchen right now, pal. |
