This is How the Machine Works

No surprise (0.00 / 0)

As soon as I heard Mark Weprin was running for his brother's City Council seat, I assumed that if David lost his bid for Comptroller he would flip into the Assembly.  Everyone I talked with about this agreed that it made sense.

There are many, many elements of reform that are needed.  Some (off the top of my head) include:
• Campaign finance reform (REAL reform, not the junk that often passes for it) in the form of a strong, loophole-free "Clean Money, Clean Elections" system;
• Independent redistricting;
• The method of holding special elections at the state level should be changed to model the NYC method;
• An open budget process, where everyone can see exactly where the money is coming from as well as where it's going;
• Eliminating member items; and
• Rules reform, based on the 2004 Brennan Center report.

I am pushing for real campaign finance reform, as it is the reform that makes all other reform possible -- done properly, it takes out the influence of special interest groups and party machines  Done improperly, it just adds to the cynicism while wasting huge amounts of taxpayer money.

Meanwhile, none of these reforms will be enacted by the current power structure in Albany -- on either side of the capitol.  So the real first step is getting better people elected.  Of course, we have the catch-22 that the people currently in power have all those crooked advantages, so we're up against a high wall.  Given that, we just have to try harder and smarter.

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by: Dan Jacoby @ Fri Nov 20, 2009 at 20:37:21 PM UTC

Campaign Finance Reform (0.00 / 0)

Real campaign finance reform in New York is the closest thing we have to a magic bullet.  We can't support candidates who aren't committed to reforming the legalized bribery that pervades this state's electioneering.

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by: Historical Pessimist @ Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 03:23:56 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

How it can happen in Albany (0.00 / 0)

There is work being done on a bill to create a public financing system for the Comptroller's race alone.  Leaving aside the backroom sausage-making ('cause it ain't nice), while the bill itself may not be a particularly good one (from what I understand of it, there will be some good-sized problems), it can open the door for real campaign finance reform in 2011.

Meanwhile, there will be a new "Clean Money, Clean Elections" bill introduced into the New York City Council (for NYC races).  It will be an excellent bill -- I know, because I'm writing it.

If the state Comptrollers' race bill passes, and if the City Council can be pushed to reject 20 years of a failed campaign finance system in favor of a strong, robust, full public funding system, leaders in Albany will have little choice but to set their sails with the winds of change.

More to come.

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by: Dan Jacoby @ Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 04:01:01 AM UTC

[ Parent ]

Something that exists (0.00 / 0)

in every democracy on earth...nothing new.

The people of Northeast Queens love the Weprins...they are free to decide they don't want this to happen, but they like them, so they can get away with this.

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by: nrafter530 @ Sat Nov 21, 2009 at 10:26:50 AM UTC