Lobbyists - Selfish Reasons to Support Reform

by: simonstl

Sun Feb 18, 2007 at 19:05:10 PM EST

It's hard to write about reasons lobbyists should support legislative reforms. After all, reformers frequently cite the hight ratio of lobbyists to legislators as a sign that something's really wrong in Albany. There also seems to be a genuine hope among reformers that shifting the risks to legislators' jobs from the leadership to voters will reduce the influence of lobbyists.

While I share those hopes, and expect that reform would make lobbyists change their approach quite substantially, I can still see some reasons that enterprising lobbyists should support legislative reforms:

• No more double standard. Today's New York Times pointed out that lobbyists seem to be the only ones punished for violations - legislators get off with barely a slap on the wrist. I don't think anyone - probably especially the lobbyists - thinks ethics enforcement should work that way.

• More competition means better threats. Right now it looks like New York State lobbyists can only pursue legislators' hearts with carrots - lots and lots of carrots. The leadership has pretty much the only sticks. In a reformed legislature, lobbyists could help take it to the voters when they don't like a legislator's views.

Municipal Officials - Selfish Reasons to Support Reform

by: simonstl

Wed Feb 14, 2007 at 18:02:30 PM EST

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.