Assemblymen, Where Do You Stand?

Response from Assemblyman George Latimer (0.00 / 0)

Brian -
Sorry to report that I cannot predict what I will yet do on this matter. I will say that the comments that were made by member(s) of the former Comptroller's screening committee members, in eliminating the sitting legislators - Assembly members and State Senator - by citing their lack of financial experience could easily have been applied to a wide array of executive electeds prior to their first election. Hugh Carey was a Congressman and George Pataki a State Senator; Mario Cuomo Lt. Governor; how large were their staffs prior to Gubernatorial election? How wide their experience in government administration? The same applies to Sen. John Kennedy, VPs Harry Truman, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford. In fact, it applies to some of the members of the screening committee prior to their first elections.

The concept that every legislator - Councilman, County Legislator, Assemblymember, Senator, Congressmember or US Senator is automatically underqualified for an executive post, is absurd. The talent and skill in leading in government includes handling onesself in a political climate, responding to public and media scrutiny and criticism, articulating the direction public policy must take - these skills are what is tested by the public in a campaign for executive office. So while I would certainly agree the three members recommended are qualified in certain aspects of the prospective posts, others may be deemed qualified as well given other elements of the job of State Comptroller.

George Latimer

Thank you, Assemblyman Latimer, for your quick response.

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 05:14:07 AM UTC

re: Response from Assemblyman George Latimer (0.00 / 0)

Frankly I find this response disingenuous.  The position of Comptroller is arguably a unique one as it requires a skill and facility with finance and budgets far in excess of other executive and legislative offices.  A Comptroller should have substantial traning and experience in these areas much the same way that an AG should be a lawyer--not something to brag about but a minimal requirement.  This letter tells us not to be concerned about such trivialties and uses the  examples of  three governors and five presidents to make his point.  Find something relevant, Dude, there must be some some guy with no background in finance who went on to become a fine Comptroller.  Tell us about him. 

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by: MajorFlaw @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 13:08:52 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

I still don't understand (0.00 / 0)

why those in Albany could possibly feel slighted just because none of their colleagues were a finalist.  Do they feel the panel was somehow biased? 

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by: NYPopulist @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 06:41:03 AM UTC

Skip the Editorializing, Brian (0.00 / 0)

Brian:

I would have preferred that your post be written without this bit of editorializing:

"Will they accept the Committee's suggestions and select a comptroller from the finalists, as Bruno and SIlver agreed they'd do, or will they ignore the committee and select one of their own to keep Silver's power in place...ie, business as usual?"

Not all regular TAP readers agree with this bit of editorializing (me, for example) and I have to admit that I cringed when I saw your post. It smacks of self-promotion for a fairly new blog.

If you want people to take you seriously and respond, you should try to keep things neutral.

That being said, I applaud Assemblyman Latimer's willingness to respond.

(Please fix your typos too, Brian.)

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by: T.G. @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 11:54:23 AM UTC

point well taken. (0.00 / 0)

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 12:16:41 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Some thoughts (0.00 / 0)

Latimer's letter was great.  Here are some of my thoughts:

As for the idea that legislators are "underqualified" to hold executive office - it depends.  In the case of Comptrollers, my knee-jerk reaction is to say a private sector financeer would be better at the job.  However, having studied public administration, there is a fundamental difference between administrating in the public sector and the private sector, that private sector people do not understand:  politics. 

Public administration is, like I've said about politics, the allocation of scare resources* AND administrating (well) within the constraints of a political environment.  The flipside is legislators understand it SO well that sometimes they aren't willing to push the limits.  But, there is a difference between seeing the limits and pushing them, and being oblivious to the limits completely - something, I've found from talking to private sector business junkies, that private sector "candidates" tend to be.

We'll see.  I'm interested to watch this unfold.

*Seeing as I've used this "definition" twice now, I cannot take credit for it in good conscience.  I interned under Alan Chartock a few years back, and when asked to define politics on the first day of class, that was the definition he supplied us with.

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by: irisira @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 12:09:16 PM UTC

Response from Assemblyman Joe Morelle (0.00 / 0)

Here is the text from the attached pdf statement.

For Immediate Release Contact: Derek Murphy

Friday, January 26, 2007 585-721-3172

Statement by Assemblyman Joseph Morelle

"The Legislature volunteered to be guided by outside advisors with the goal of creating a fair and open process to elect the next State Comptroller. If it turns out that those advisors made a decision to exclude candidates solely on the basis of their status as State Legislators -- without consideration of the quality of their service, grasp of the issues, or vision for the office -- then it taints the entire process and the transparency and even-handedness that was meant to define it. As long as that question remains unanswered, I remain a candidate for State Comptroller, and hope that my fellow Legislators and the voters of New York will judge me on the basis of my blueprint for the office and record as a reform-minded public servant and upstate business owner."
-30-
5.233.2013
email: morelle@morelle.com

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by: am @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 16:15:03 PM UTC

I'm waiting to hear back (4.00 / 1)

from Assemblyman Oaks or his representative.  I just called his office and the staff person didn't know his position.  She said she would have someone call me back.  Will keep you posted.

Qui tacet consentit.

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by: lavaughn @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 16:25:05 PM UTC

Assemblyman Ivan Lafayette called (0.00 / 0)

and responded with the following statement:

According to the Constitution of New York, the selection of the Comptroller is the duty of the legislature and we plan to fill that requirement.

January 29, 2007

We've got some work ahead of us.

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by: NYBri @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 23:39:11 PM UTC

What? (0.00 / 0)

Is Scott McClellan working for Assemblyman Lafayette? Seriously that was the biggest non-answer I have seen.

Reality has a well known liberal Bias-Stephen Colbert

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by: pierredude @ Mon Jan 29, 2007 at 23:59:42 PM UTC

[ Parent ]

Seems Crystal Clear to Me, Pierre (0.00 / 0)

Here's what the law says, Pierre:

§ 41. Vacancies filled by legislature. When a vacancy occurs or exists, other than by removal, in the office of comptroller or attorney-general, or a resignation of either such officer to take effect at any future day shall have been made while the legislature is in session, the two houses thereof, by joint ballot, shall appoint a person to fill such actual or prospective vacancy.

In other words, it's the legislature's perogative to fill the Comptroller's vacancy. Period. How much clearer does it have to be? That, as I understand it, is what Ivan Lafayette just said.  Just because you don't like the answer doesn't mean that it's a non-answer.

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by: T.G. @ Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 02:11:06 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Yes but... (0.00 / 0)

It is a non-sequitor answer for the questions presented in the letter. It is kinda like me asking you are you going to use a computer to write a letter and you answering my job is to write a letter. It might be your job to write a letter but I wasn't asking about your job, i was asking if you were going to use a computer.
The non-sequitor or non-answer was a classic McClellan tactic for avoiding difficult questions and this seems to follow that path. Or at least in my eyes it does.

Reality has a well known liberal Bias-Stephen Colbert

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by: pierredude @ Tue Jan 30, 2007 at 02:25:08 AM UTC

[ Parent ]