No one doubts that New York state government is in serious trouble. The Brennan Center named New York as the least effective state government in the country – that’s right, not even relatively poor and traditionally corrupt states like Louisiana and Mississippi can match us. Our current governor has never been elected, and took office only because his predecessor was run out on a rail for using the services of a prostitute while in office (and while hounding Wall Street for its ethical problems.) The legislature has not passed a budget on time in years. Last year, the entire system came to a halt because the two parties were evenly split and took advantage of the lack of a lieutenant governor who could break a tie by engaging in open bidding for one or two senate members who were willing to join any party who promised the most. There were instances in which they actually locked each other out of the senate chamber.
When I took a Millbrook School intersession group to visit the Assembly in March, the folly was in full view. The senate spent its entire session voting on praise for local high school football teams and awarding various citizens for being nice people. The assembly rolled through a number of bills that our assemblyman, Marc Molinaro voted for while we were there despite his open admission that he had no idea what they were about. Frankly, he said, these bills were mostly meaningless because the senate had no intention of passing them, and so everybody just voted for the bills for something to do. Meanwhile … no budget, and no work on it.
You can’t make this stuff up.
Through it all, Stephen Saland, the state senator representing Dutchess County, has done nothing to demonstrate any character or competence at all. When I called his office last year to complain about the whole sordid mess, I spoke to an aid who could only try to blame the Democrats and fret how there was nothing her boss could do to make a difference. She actually called him powerless, and said that only the senate majority leader had any influence, and the Democrats were making it impossible for the Republicans to elect the right senate majority leader. No one returned my e-mails.
This is exactly why New York government fails, and why Saland should be removed from office. Saland does not even pretend that he has a serious job to do. During the crisis last summer, his website included no mention of the problem or his position on it, and as far as I can tell he has never publically addressed it in any substantive way. He can join in partisan nonsense with the best of them, and he can give a terrifically vapid speech at the opening of school events, but he can do nothing about the fact that the government of New York is the worst in the western hemisphere.
Saland must go.
1 comment:
Mark:
While I recall your visit and remember admitting that most of the bills the Assembly leadership placed before us that day were without senate sponsorship, I can assure you I knew what we were voting on. Had we had more time to discuss the process, I would have explained that Assembly Minority members have on our desks counsel memos detailing every piece of legislation to come before us. Most, if not all of these had been voted on in previous sessions; most have my notes and research included for my own reference.
As a member of the Ways and Means committee, it is likely I already considered, debated and voted on nearly every bill to come before us that day. Our staff and legal counsel on the floor advise of us our previous votes, debate points, memos of opposition or support and our own notes or comments on legislation to ensure my votes are consistent with my previous action on such bills or reflect any position I have noted or taken in the past.
You are correct in stating that the Assembly leadership "rolls" through these "one house bills" to provide them time to negotiated major pieces of legislation and/or the budget with the Governor and senate leaders. It is unfortunate that this time is not used for budget deliberation or conference committees.
The rules of the Assembly empower only the Speaker (and his appointed majority leader) to determine which pieces of legislation come to the floor for a vote. Further, the rules allow members to submit and promote legislation without any individual senate sponsor, meaning they have no intention of them becoming law.
These are all points I speak to when local classes and groups schedule visits with us. As a strong proponent of sweeping rules, budget, campaign and ethics reforms, I know how much these are needed. Having been a student who visited the state legislature, intern for my State Assemblywoman (Eileen Hickey), and first hold elected office as an eighteen year old, I know how important it is to spend time in genuine dialogue about such matters and the operations of our democracy. Unfortunately, we did not have that opportunity.
I encourage you to write or contact me. Your characterization of my work on your behalf was limited, as was our time to speak together. I welcome ongoing dialogue. You certainly deserve that from your elected representatives.
Thank you much,
Marcus J. Molinaro
Member of Assembly
103rd District
mjm@marcmolinaro.com
www.marcmolinaro.com
www.assembly.state.ny.us
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