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This belongs to you. Take it back...
Accountability 
Fri Jun 27, 2008 at 10:50:44 AM EDT
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( - promoted by phillip anderson)
One issue that's been near and dear to me over the past year is the cost of textbooks for college students. We all know that the cost of education has skyrocketed over the past eight years, and textbook pricing is no different. Students pay an average of 300-500 dollars a semester on their textbooks. These books are often bundled material featuring unnecessary products that drive up the costs. Furthermore, textbook companies frequently create new editions to their books that fail to add much material but seriously hamper the buy back price of these expensive books.
Thankfully, New York State government has finally done something about this issue.
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Tue Jun 17, 2008 at 23:37:31 PM EDT
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CapCon has reported that the senate has passed a sponsor-free bill that would greatly cripple our freedom-of-information law:
This bill, S.8446/A. 11432 would make these documents exempt from freedom of information laws, disclosure under public officers law, or subpoena.
It's passed through the Senate (with no sponsors, which, according to NYPIRG's Blair Horner, "is how you know a bill really stinks")
I guess it's easy to see why someone under an FBI investigation is scared of sunlight. But what's Joe Morelle's excuse for sponsoring the Assembly version?
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Discuss
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Thu Mar 01, 2007 at 11:57:25 AM EST
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I want to put in a word for the Albany Times-Union's outstanding special section in honor of "Sunshine Week," the annual effort, first launched by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors, to foster a national dialogue on open government and freedom of information issues (check out the Sunshine Week blog, too). The issue is particularly relevant to New York, as a survey of members of Investigative Reporters and Editors slapped our state's freedom of information laws with a 'D' grade (pdf).
Times-Union Senior Editor Bob Port compares New York to Florida, and finds we've got a lot to learn: In New York, a citizen who marches into town hall and asks to see the town supervisor's appointment calendar can be greeted by a laugh or a snarl from the staff.
"Make a FOIL request" is frequently the response, a reference to New York's often-cited Freedom of Information Law. A particular document might not be available, depending on the government's mood, for, oh, a couple of months.
In Florida, that same request wouldn't cause laughter. An immediate photocopy is anyone's right -- and all government officials know it.
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Sat Feb 24, 2007 at 10:33:42 AM EST
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The Times reports today on yet another shady corner of New York's campaign finance laws - the part that allows retired politicians to go on spending hoarded campaign funds. For instance, the Times gives us former Assemblyman Michael J. Bragman, who has spent $600,000 in donation money since he left office six years ago - and he's still got another four hundred grand to burn through.
Where has the money gone? Mr. Bragman did not run for office again. But he did pay his wife $24,000 a year to work for a campaign committee that did no campaigning. And he spent thousands more on bottles of wine, meals at a yacht club, Christmas gifts and office rental payments to a company that he appears to control. Bragman is hardly unique. There's former Senator Roy Goodman, who has spent thousands of dollars on gifts and parties - including two grand on lunch with John Bolton (I guess the "ambassador" has expensive tastes). There's retired Assemblyman Howard Mills, who "continues to use his old campaign account to make monthly $588 car payments, pay cellphone bills and buy gifts." There's Eric Vitaliano of Staten Island - who at least had the decency to donate his unused funds to charity.
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Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 13:09:49 PM EST
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The need for economic development reform in New York State is without question. One should only look at the economy of Upstate New York to recognize that the current policy is failing and should be changed. At present, there are various strategies, which have been employed to create quality jobs through the state. These include the use of Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs) and Empire Zones to promote economic growth in the depressed regions across the state. The problem is that they have not been able to become the growth engine, which they were touted during their creation.
More after the fold...
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Mon Dec 04, 2006 at 11:44:39 AM EST
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 Accountability.
In business, if you make a lousy product or treat your customers like dog food, you'll be hanging out a quick "going out of business" sign. In schools, in the workplace, and even in personal relationships, you mess up, you pay the price. Accountability. It's the ultimate check and balance.
Here in New York, our state government is the poster child for corrupt and secret political wheeling and dealing. Here, the status quo has, over the years, legalized unaccountability…actually written secrecy and evasiveness into the statutes that govern how the legislature operates.
Roll with me.....
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