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The Sheriff of State Street
Can the “Sheriff of Wall Street” become the “Sheriff of State Street”? Governor-elect Spitzer's pledges to reform the way state government conducts its political business could end up having the biggest impact on New Yorkers. Critics have long charged that Albany’s inability to resolve festering policy problems is rooted in the state’s dysfunctional politics, which are enabled by laws designed to protect and insulate those in power. Powerful special interests have long held sway over policymaking in Albany. The state’s campaign finance system allows for huge contributions. The state’s “pay to play” system allows policymakers to subtly – and often not so subtly – link contributions to the awarding of government contracts, legislation and regulatory favors. Weak ethics also allow lawmakers to spend campaign contributions on personal items, such as country club memberships, trips abroad, the leasing of luxury cars and even ice cream parties with clowns! New York’s system also allows lawmakers to essentially “rig” elections. Despite a national political “tsunami,” little changed in the makeup of the state legislature. The reason is in large part due to the fact that Senate Republicans draw the legislative district lines for the Senate and Assembly Democrats due to the same in their house, all with an eye toward reducing the number of competitive elections. In response to these problems, the governor-elect has stated clearly that he is going to take on Albany’s ethically-challenged political culture, fight for an independent redistricting commission and demand campaign finance reforms. If the new governor is successful, he may dramatically change Albany in a way that will offer new hope to state residents. This new Albany would be peopled by lawmakers more sensitive to the needs of the public and less to the demands of powerful interest groups. For example, do you think the State Senate would side with the pharmaceutical companies and keep drug costs high if they knew that they could face voter retribution? That’s what they did last year. In a competitive environment, they’d think twice. Furthermore, a new Albany may also reduce voters’ cynicism about state government and may help engage the public in the debates over the issues of the day. So how could this new reform movement unfold? Of course, no one knows for sure, but here are some ways the new governor could kick off his reform efforts. The new governor could issue a series of executive actions that would open up the executive branch. For example, on January 1, the new governor could r equire agencies to follow “spirit” of Freedom of Information and Open Meetings Laws; he could require agencies to post FOIL-able records, in which there is “substantial public interest,” on the Internet; and he could require the release of agencies’ budget requests and substantive bases for proposed budget items. During his State of the State address, the new governor could build on his initiatives and then issue a challenge to the legislature to take steps of their own. His actions combined with the use of the bully pulpit would put tremendous pressure on legislators to reform legislative rules that are notoriously unfair and allow for far too much secrecy. The new governor could then advance proposals to change the redistricting process, overhaul the ways elections are funded, open up the budget process and strengthen the state’s ethics. He could use his power to convene “leaders meetings” to force a public debate on these and other important topics. However the new governor chooses to move forward, the public should hope that he is successful in his efforts to change state government. Once these initial steps are taken, voters should demand that statewide officials as well as their state Senators and Assemblymembers match the rhetoric of reform with the reality of change in Albany. That’s all for now. I’ll be keeping an eye on the Capitol and will talk to you again next week. |
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