It’s Groundhog Day for Corruption at NYS Capitol
Remember the Bill Murray movie “Groundhog Day” when he keeps waking up and the same day repeats over and over again?
That’s what it sometimes feels like in Albany when it comes to stories of public corruption and the lack of action to make it end. Much needs to be addressed in our state government but not much good will come out of the state Capitol to enhance the quality of life for New Yorkers if we don’t deal with the issue of ethics and public corruption.
No branch of government or political party has been immune to incidents of public corruption. While I believe the vast majority of my colleagues are honest, law-abiding public servants, there’s no question that more needs to be done to promote greater government transparency and help reduce the opportunities for the few bad apples in state government from preying on the system and betraying their oaths of office.
Recently we’ve seen another guilty verdict for former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos, the affirmation of former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver’s guilt, and the Governor’s former top aide Joe Percoco, and economic czar Alain Kaloyeros all found guilty of public corruption. And that’s just in the past few weeks. This is just the tip of the iceberg as there are plenty of other recent public corruption scandals.
What’s it going to take to stop the corruption in Albany? How many elected officials and members of the Governor’s administration need to face prison time before the Assembly and the Second Floor take action?
I’ve long been an outspoken voice for reforming state government and making it more accountable to taxpayers.
Last year, I voted for a constitutional amendment which the public overwhelmingly passed in November 2017 to take the pensions away from elected officials who are convicted of corruption and betraying their oaths of office. That was a good start but more needs to be done.
In May, my Senate colleagues and I passed several anti-corruption bills that have been supported by leading “good government groups” to restore trust in government.
The anti-corruption legislative package which the Senate passed but still needs to be taken up by the Assembly includes:
• Developing a searchable “Database of Deals” for state subsidies and an economic development benefits database to monitor the use of taxpayer money, S. 6613B.
• Preventing “pay-toplay” to limit political donations from those applying for grants, licenses, or doing business with the state, S.8409.
• Prohibiting those who are appointed by the gov- ernor from making political contributions to the executive or their campaign, S.8404.
• Restoring the state Comptroller’s independent oversight in the government procurement process by enhancing the integrity, transparency, and accountability of the state’s procurement process, S.3984A.
• Creating an outside Independent Budget Office to provide non-partisan and objective analyses of state revenues, expenditures and management practices to the legislature. This is critical in helping to stop what Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos did in hiding large pockets of taxpayer money to curry favor and make shady deals with. At least 23 other states including California, Florida, Texas, Connecticut and Vermont have already established non-partisan budget offices to assist their legislatures, S.2325.
• Requiring financial disclosure for Regional Economic Development Council members, S.922B.
• Protecting state in- vestments when deals fall far short of expectations when it comes to job creation claims so the state can claw-back taxpayer funds, S. 7697A.
• I’m sponsoring legislation which the legislature should pass, the STAR Corruption Reduction Act (S.C.R.A.P.) to require the forfeiture of any School Tax Relief (STAR) exemption for any state or local official convicted of a federal or state felony charge of betraying their oath of office. This would be in addition to any existing criminal penalty for public corruption, including the pension forfeiture constitutional amendment which was passed overwhelmingly by the pubic last year, S.7580. Not one penny of taxpayer dollars should be provided for any reason to a legislator who has taken from the taxpayers they have taken an oath of office to serve and protect.
• I’ve also authored the “Truth in Spending” bill to protect against legislative “quid pro-quos” and stop corruption, which has the support of four “good government” groups, S.1679A.
One “good government” group, Reinvent Albany, called the reform bills my Senate colleagues and I passed “good policy” that will be “effective in reducing the corruption risk of economic development projects that taxpayers spend billions of dollars on.”
My Senate colleagues and I have done our part by passing these sweeping reform bills to stop corruption and promote greater government transparency.
Now it’s time for the Assembly to return to Albany and work with the Governor to get this unfinished business done for taxpayers
We’ve seen “Ground Hog Day” too many times at the state Capitol. Time for a new movie.
State Sen. Jim Tedisco (R,C, I-REF- Glenville) represents the 49th State Senate District which includes parts of Saratoga, Schenectady and Herkimer counties and all of Fulton and Hamilton counties.