Originally Published: May 18, 2013
Good Government Group confronts State Legislature’s failure to find common ground and pass anti-corruption laws
With the legislature set to conclude one of the least productive and corruption-ridden sessions in recent history, Citizens Union calls upon state legislators not to leave Albany without acting to cure the culture of corruption that pervades in Albany. Though the era of Tammany Hall may be part of our state’s history – and one which Citizens Union was formed to banish – its spirit clearly lives on with a do-nothing state legislature that is unwilling to find common ground and pass meaningful campaign finance reform and anti-corruption measures. Shame on them if they fail to act, boxed in by favors owed to narrow interests, uncompromising requests for perfect solutions, and a disregard for the public interest.
New Yorkers know that our political system is broken and needs to be fixed before the legislators go on summer vacation. Not only do 67% of New Yorkers in a recent Siena poll say the government is getting more corrupt every day, but a near majority have affirmed that the top end-of-session priority should be to pass laws to curb public corruption.
New Yorkers clamor loudly for enactment of common-sense solutions to show Albany has learned from the ongoing scandals that have tainted our government. Citizens Union put forth its own Ten Point Plan which coupled with the Governor’s program bills and several good proposals for comprehensive campaign finance reform, offer numerous options for the legislature to work to renew the public’s trust in government. These proposals cannot prevent corruption outright, but their enactment would represent an important step forward in what had been building momentum for real change in Albany.
Some of our political leaders advocate an all or nothing approach to solving our problems. Others simply refuse to do anything. What results is continued gridlock where no progress is made to cure the culture of corruption in Albany. Our system of government is set up to make progress incrementally. Though not perfect, state ethics and redistricting reform did become law and have begun to change the way in which business is done in our state capitol. The reform momentum created by those achievements has come to a screeching halt, despite the increasing number of legislators who have left in a cloud of ethical scandal. Two legislators have resigned so far this year, and four others have been arrested, including two former Senate Majority Leaders. Twenty-two legislators over the past decade have left office due to criminal or ethical misconduct, and four more are likely for a total of twenty-six, according to updated research by Citizens Union.
It will be a shame if no action is taken. New Yorkers not only want a state government that functions, but one that they can trust. Lessening public faith in our government weakens our democracy because people tune out and don’t vote. Even though it appears that our state legislators later this week will walk away from the problem of corruption, Citizens Union calls on voters to walk into the voting booth and create the change that the legislators refuse to make.