(Open Government in Albany helps Government everywhere. - promoted by NYBri)
As I noted in my reasons Upstate should support reform, reform isn't all about selfless pursuit of a noble goal. It comes with benefits, I think for nearly everyone.
Today I'd like to look at what municipal officials - elected folks at the county, city, town, or village level - have to gain from reforming the New York State Legislature.
Have ambition? Would you like a seat in Albany? You might not have to wait for the incumbent-for-life to choose their own retirement if the current gerrymandering is replaced by pretty much any even slightly fairer system. Not only that, but a steady stream of contested elections would avoid the huge pile-up of people who jump for a seat when at last it finally opens. |
Have ambitions for a seat above yours, but not in Albany? Given a real chance for a legislature seat, people above you may well jump. Maybe even multiple people will jump for a single seat. And then you can run for their seats more easily. As more people think it's possible to run for office at higher levels, that opens up more seats at lower levels. (Okay, it would help if we didn't have elections spread all over the calendar, and say, concentrated them in even-numbered years, but it's still an improvement.)
You have an ambitious colleague who keeps talking about big issues when you want to focus on local needs? That's fine - you'll be able to point such colleagues toward higher office, and help them achieve your goals while getting them out of the way of your local goals. You have a critical project you'd like to get funded, but the only current way to get state funds for that is to beg your majority party representative for money that falls from the sky? It doesn't have to be like that. The pots of discretionary money the majority leaderships now control might better be replaced by more open programs if open programs became the ordinary way of distributing cash. You angered a legislator at some point and now they starve you of funds, and provide only token help in working with state agencies? Open grant programs can help with some of that, but ending incumbency for life will force legislators to look for allies, rather than expect vassals to line up. Get into a feud, and you could take it to the voters, who might just solve your problem. You've established a great relationship with a legislator and hope they can move up even further? In a more fluid system, they might well be able to do that. You've tried talking to legislators about important issues, but they seem more absorbed with the lobbyists' and the leadership's opinions? Reduce the influence of the lobbyists and the powers of the leadership, and your voice might sound a lot louder in your legislator's ear. Can't raise money for your campaigns because donors are intent on maintaining their relationship with permanent power? Reduce the permanence of that power, and donors are going to look around for more options. (Yeah, that's a scary one, but still worth mentioning.)
I'm sure I missed a few things, but hopefully this hits the high points. |
