Albany: how to fix the mess

The dysfunctional and corrupt nature of New York government has long been a topic of scorn for local government officials, school administrations and the state's editorial writers. But the heat seems to have been ratcheted up this year.

First, there was a report by the Brennan Center at New York University's law school which called New York's legislature the most dysfunctional in the nation. Then there was groundbreaking investigation, which may well win a Pulitzer Prize, by the Syracuse Post-Standard on the corruption in the secret slush funds maintained by the state's govenor and two legislative leaders.

There is no shortage of ideas on how to fix the mess, only a shortage of will.

The NY Public Interest Research Group's Blair Horner cites the case of former state Sen. Guy Vellela, now incarcerated, as a an example.

According to the DA’s indictment, people seeking contracts [to paint a bridge in Albany] were told that to win the bid they needed to contact Velella and retain his father’s firm to represent them in the bidding. Velella got kickbacks from the clients who retained his father’s firm. In the end, Velella resigned in disgrace, pleaded guilty to a felony, lost his law license and was sent to prison.

But more interesting is what Horner's op-ed in The Post-Standard suggests as remedies:

Boost the state comptroller’s powers to review agencies’ and authorities’ contracting decisions.
Empower the Lobbying Commission to monitor procurement lobbying. With so much at stake, big bucks are spent influencing agency contracting decisions. The Assembly has passed legislation deputizing the Lobbying Commission to monitor contract lobbying. The Senate and the governor should support it.

Create an independent ethics agency to monitor both the executive and legislative branches. The governor’s internal oversight is inadequate.

Kevin Murray, a Monroe County (Western NY) legislator, offers a different solution. In his essay for Rochester's Democrat and Chronicle, he cites the now familiar list of Albany absurdities: late budgets, pork, gerrymandering that prevents electoral accountability.

He believes a state constitutional convention is a long-overdue measure. He endorses a reform proposal by Assemblyman Richard Brodsky which would, in his words, would give the state Legislature would have clearly defined powers to amend a governor's proposed budget, rather than be forced to simply accept or reject it. Under this revised constitution, election districts would be drawn by a nonpartisan commission. And the state Legislature would become a unicameral body of just 100 members.

Mitchell Kaidy, who was part of the state's last constitutional convention in 1967, offers some suggestions on rules a constitutional convention must adopt if real reform is to happen.

The public rejected a convention back in a required referendum back in 1997, but the legislature can call one at anytime. As necessary as it certainly is, I wouldn't hold my breath. Legislators have a reputation for protecting their own for a good reason.