Mischief Managed?

Only two weeks after Governor Paterson gave the State of the State address, where he outlined comprehensive ethics reform in Albany, the issue has been picked up by the legislature. There is only one issue, the Governor hates it.

Thats right, Paterson’s spokesmen has stated quite clearly that the new ethics reform bill is nothing more than “election-year window dressing” . I am going to have to agree with Paterson on this one.

Everyone knows that come election time incumbets, specifically democrats, are going to have to answer for the screeching halt of the state government that occured last year. No better way to deflect the question than by being able to say, “yes, but we also past ethics reform legislation that will make New York a better state.” But, have they really passed ethics reform that voters can look at, and like Harry Potter to the Marauder’s Map, say mischief managed?

That answer would be NO. Now, i am a proponet of progress, and the legislature is making steps in the right direction. However, if ethics reform is going to be a central issue for this legislative session and election (and it clearly is), than why not attack the issue comprehensivly rather than picking out a few problems here and there.

For a little background information, the new bill would create a bi-cameral system that would monitor legislators and legislative activities, such as outside income (or the Bruno clause after former Senate Majority Leader Bruno).

But here is the kicker. In all of the shuffling around of committee’s and definitions the law fails to do one very important thing…DEFINE WHAT PUNISHMENTS WILL BE.

The single biggest problem with ethics in the State of New York is that people do not get punished if they do something wrong. For example, Senator Espada owes several thousands of dollars in campaign contribution violations, yet he still recieves his paycheck and is still in office. Creating another bill with no teeth is like trying to discipline a child without actually punishing them…”please billy stop stealing from other kids…now go play with your friends”.

I agree that reform is needed and if this waterdowned version of Governor Paterson’s proposal is all we can get, then lets pass it. But it will do little to actually fix the problem. I suggest we go back to the drawing board and try again.

(for those who read my posts, you will notice that in my state of the state analysis I predicted comprehensive ethics refom would be stripped and watered down)

Chartering New York’s Education

For a state that has as many higher education institutions as New York does, we have a remarkably poor grammar school (k-12) system. To be fair, we are not the worst. There are plenty of states that are much worse off than New York. However, since we are an education powerhouse in Higher Education, one would think our basic education programs would be significantly better than they are.

As a product of the New York State Public Education system, I can say some serious changes need to occur. Today Governor Paterson switched his stance on the idea of charter schools. According to the Times Union, current law dictates that only 400 charter schools can exist within the state (only about 40 slots remain open). Previously, Paterson stated openly that he was opposed to lifting the charter school cap. However, the federal government is now waiving 700 million dollars in additional aid, and as we all know in New York, money talks.

Paterson has decided that in order to help our public school system he is going to push to lift the charter school cap and try to receive a larger chunk of federal dollars, which will help close budget shortfalls. I agree that closing budget holes is necessary, and that the education system needs reform, hell I even think it is ok (and sometimes for the better) for a politician to change their mind.

However, before we get too deeply into the expansion of a charter school system we need to spend the time and money to re-work the current system. More students attend public schools than charter schools and therefore they deserves a little more attention, despite not having a 700 million dollar bonus attached to it. We currently have students who are not getting a complete and sufficient education before going to college.

A perfect example of this is the awful idea of the Math A/B program. For those who do not know, Math A/B is a three year program (a year and a half for each) in public high schools. It was designed to replace the old algebra, Geometry, and Trigonometry classes (a year for each). The idea was to prepare students for higher education math courses through a more rigorous grammar school curriculum. It failed. My graduating class was the first to have the program applied, that year 70 percent, yes 70 percent, of the students failed the Math B exam. So many failed that they had to change the requirements to recieve a regents diploma otherwise many students would not get into college.

Now, I do not want to sound like I am bitter or mad at the state. I want to explain to people that we need to reform the way we teach in the state of New York to fit a new world. Yes, not everything will work, but lets use some logic. Puting two years worth of material in a year and half is not logical.

So I propose this to the state, if you are serious about education reform it does not start at Charter schools, it starts in the classrooms of public education and with the teachers who shape our youth. I am not saying that teachers do not have some responsibility, because in my opinion teacher tenure is a huge problem (and a post for a different day), but teachers can not help students if they are forced to impliment poor programs.

My father always says “Garry, you have to plant corn to get corn” (aka you reap what you sow). New York is planting peas and expecting to get spinach. If you want our education system to move forward and change, you cannot do that by expanding the charter school system. You must reform the poor practices of the past and develop new, creative, effective ways of learning. Instead of wasting our time on charter school policy lets plant a good education program so that it will florish and help grow the state of New York by generating capable youth that will want to continue their education here and then raise a family here. That is how you fix education, not through charter school policy or federal dollars.

State of the State Address

So here is the Post-Game Analysis

1. Paterson spoke fairly well today. He was clear and concise with his comments. There was not a whole lot of detail on all points but for the most part he shared an outline of his plans. However, I would say the speech overall was not that impressive. It was mediocre and passable.

2. Paterson did focus mostly on re-building the economy and finding a way to get New Yorkers back to work. At the beginning of the speech Paterson announced he will re-submit a bill that would institute a spending cap for the state government. I think this is a great idea, although, he did not go into too much detail other than a spending cap would help keep spending down….which is fairly obvious.

3. The most expansive he got on any one topic was Ethics Reform. The Reform Albany Act which was submitted in bill form to the legislature today would end “pay to play”, drive contribution limits down, institute public financing at a 4:1 ratio, and lastly, put term limits on public officials. I believe the Governor has submitted a comprehensive reform package that needs to be passed in New York. However, to be realistic, i believe there is a better than average chance that the Reform Albany Act will end up stripped down and gutted, leaving it useless on its face. I hope not, but we shall see.

4. On the topic of ethics, Paterson spoke to the legislature directly by saying that if the legislature does not act, he will. Paterson hinted at the idea of Executive Orders and Constitutional changes if the legislature does not do the “work of the people”. I predicted he would treat the legislature like a child and he did. He ended this section of the speech saying the legislature should have the voice of people by enacting the laws that people want. Like a father to a son, he told them to shape up.

5. Paterson also spoke clearly about oppertunities and ideas he would like implimented to help create a better economy and more jobs in New York. Specifically, he brought up the idea of re-developing the manufacturing districts of our state through a new program called the Excelsior Program. This would aim to bring Green Technology Manufacturing, Green Jobs, and Technology Jobs to the state. The plan also allows the government to buy old manufacturing sites and retro-fit them, bringing them back to operational status, and then sell them to companies. I like this plan overall and I think it could be the biggest success our state has seen in a long time.

(Alongside the Excelsior Program, Paterson suggested we end the Enterprise Zone program due to its continual failure.)

6. Lastly, Paterson spoke about a revolving door start up/small business loan program that would allow small companies to get their legs and build root. This program could be a huge success, or it could be a money pit. He did not go into a whole lot of detail of the program or how it would be implimented. I am not opposed to this though because small companies do contribute a fair share to the economy of upstate, less in downstate, and therefore need to be maintained.

Overall rating for the speech….3/5

Please add your comments of what you saw and heard!

State of the State Address

I have decided that the best way to tackle the forthcoming State of the State address, which takes place tomorrow (Wednesday, January 6th), is to have a pre-game prediction and a post game analysis. By doing this I think I will be able to flesh out a bit more of what Governor Paterson is going to say and why.

PRE-GAME PREDICTIONS:

1. I think we are going to see a strong call for unity in Albany. After everything that occurred in the Senate this past year, it would be ridiculous to think Paterson would say anything otherwise. However, while a message of unity is going to be apprent, I would bet all my money that it will be undertoned with the message that he will get the “people’s work” done. Essentially saying, if you dont get your shit together I will make you. The Governor enjoyed a slight bump in the polls when he took a hard line during the coup and I imagine we will see that same hard line.

2. I would expect to see an outline of budget cuts. This year the Governor did not release his budget 3 weeks ahead of the speech which means he knows he is going to have some heat due to budget cuts. The longer he waits to release the announcement of the cuts the more time he has to prepare responses.

3. I believe the Governor is going to highlight what he feels are going to be high priority issues, as he does every year. However, i doubt this list will be very long. I truly believe he is going to focus more on the budget and spend a lengthy amount of time on that topic. Issues that will get special recognition…Gay Marriage (for certain), Education (for certain), the Economy (for certain), Higher Education (possibly), and possibly an environmental issue such as Hydro-Fracking.

4. Tax increases, New Taxes, and new programs that will generate revenue. I expect the Governor will have a list of actions needed to generate revenue for the state. This may include new programs similar to the “mandetory new license plates” and “fat-tax”. These programs have not gone over well so far, so i doubt he will mention them individually. Rather, he will say new programs are going to be instituted to help the state out of fiscal crisis. I suspect he is going to announce a tax increase, possible on the wealthy or on cigerettes.

5. As far as the Governor’s tone in the speech. I believe he is going to try and come across as a hard liner on getting work done this session. As i said earlier, he got a poll boost from acting like the guy standing up for the “people’s work”. So, expect him to speak to the two houses like a father scolding his sons.

6. Lastly, and I really would be a little shocked to see it brought up in the speech, the upcoming election. He may touch on the fact that he has made it quite clear that he intends on running no matter how low his poll numbers are. However, i doubt any statements on the election would be very lengthy. No more than a mere mentioning, if at all.

Remember the speech is on Wednesday, January 6th. Please take the time and listen to what the Governor has to say. Even if you do not like the Governor, or his ideas, what he has to say impacts everyone. Also, stay posted for the Post-Speech Analysis!!!

14 Short of Equality

All they needed was 14. The State Senate voted against enacting legislation that would grant equality in marriage to the gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual community once again. Eight Democrats and all 30 Republicans voted against the measure, leaving the bill 14 votes shy of being passed.

The eight Democrats were: Sens. Ruben Diaz Sr. of the Bronx; Joseph Addabbo, Shirley Huntley, Hiram Monserrate and George Onorato of Queens; Carl Kruger of Brooklyn; Darrel Aubertine of the North Country; and William Stachowski of Buffalo. (I think it is safe to say that there is no shock that the Republican party, as a whole, voted against the action).

I have already weighed in on this topic in length (see the post Loose Ends and Gay Marriage). However, i would like to address the politicking that is going on in Albany. Most democrats, for the exception of Ruben Diaz, voted against granting equality because they are fearful of not being re-elected in November. This is unacceptable. You, as a representative, have the responsibility to uphold the constitution, of both the state and the country. Both state very clearly that everyone is equal in all aspects of the law. There is no need for argument on this matter any longer. Equality has a simple and easily understood definition: the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity, degree, value, rank, or ability.

Once again i will suggest that we vote those who do not uphold this definition out of office. Equality is the basis of our democracy, to suggest that someone is not deserving of equality is to suggest they are less than someone else. All people are equal in this country, i suggest our legislators remember that next time they consider voting on this matter.

Off With Their Budgets!!

The logistics of the DRP, or Deficit Reduction Plan, for NYS has officially been released today and it is just in time for the holidays!

Seriously though, here are a few cuts that will be made in order to correct the nearly 3 billion dollar budget shortfall the Empire State is currently dealing with:

-The Governor’s $485 million in agency cuts;
-12.5 percent cut to remaining balances of local assistance grants;
-5 percent cut to operating aid for SUNY, CUNY and community colleges;
-5.4 percent cut to the Office of Mental Retardation and -Developmental Disabilities
-$107 million in health care actions.
-$200 million from the Battery Park City Authority,
-$90 million from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative,
-$10 million from the Environmental Protection Fund and
-$26 million from the Dormitory Authority.

(all numbers and figures were taken from here)

Not all of these cuts are bad, and i would say cuts in general are a necessity. However, cuts to education, especially higher education, should never be made. And i know what you are all thinking, “how can you advocate one thing should not be cut over another when we are 3 billion in the hole?”

I make this argument because New York State’s saving grace is the Higher Education Business. We have more prestigous higher education institutions in New York than most foreign countries have altogether. Our upstate cities are all “college towns”. They thrive on the thousands of out of state and out of town students that return for each semester.

For you Math aficionados that means each student adds money to local economies. SUNY (State University of New York), alone, generates eight dollars in revenue for every dollar recieved. According to SUNY “the 2008-09 all-funds budget of $10.703 billion, which includes $3.695 billion in state support, equals an estimated $29.6 billion total economic impact”. Go here to check my source.

The state will be hard pressed to find anything else that has a 1:8 dollar return rate. So, to cut Higher Education, you are only cutting your own revenue source, one of the largest in the state.

So, go for it State Legislature, cut spending. But maybe think about your revenue sources before you go about cutting money from programs.

Deals Come and Deals Go, But Politics is Forever

Well, i do have some good news to report today. It would seem that late yesterday a deal was struck, in the traditional way (3 men in a room), between the Assmebly, the Senate, and the Governor on how to address the fiscal crisis New York is in.

The 3 leaders met at the Governors mansion in albany last night and decided that 2.9 million would be cut from the deficit. Cuts would come from health care and the plan would also create a tax amnesty plan that is anticipated to be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Go here for the article by the times union.

But lets get to the fun stuff, promptly after the agreement was reached Paterson released a statement that the agreement did not go far enough, and that he alone was standing up for what the people of the state of New York need.

Now i do not contest the idea that the Speaker of the Assembly and the Senate Conferance Leader, Sheldon Silver and John Sampson, do NOT have the peoples best interests at heart. Why you ask, because it took them forever and day to do anything about a looming budget problem that they have known about for the better part of a year!

However, Paterson has made the mistake of criticizing forward movement. While movement should be made more quickly, and more efficiantly, progress should not be criticized. The attempt at helping the state move forward was made and that should be applauded, especially when the progress made is late in the making and hard to come by.

I do not want to make this sound like i am agreeing with the leaders of the legislature however. The legislature continues to be a puppet of the leaders and drag its feet on everything that needs to be done due to fear of political pressure. Man up and make the necessary change for the state!

Paterson, The New Palpatine?

Governor David Paterson is being criticized for his attempts to alleviate the fiscal pressures New York is currently under. He would like to declare “a fiscal emergency” in the state of New York, which would allow him the ability to slash spending where he sees fit. Essentially, and the reason for the title of this post, is that Paterson would be granted “emergency powers” similar to Chancellor Palpatine in Star Wars who later became Emperor Palpatine. However, there is one major differance, Paterson is not asking for anything absurd or out of this world. He is asking for the legislature to do its job (although in New York that might as well be absurd).

Now, first of all i would like to say that Paterson has attempted to address the deficit issue several times since he has been in office, each time he has been shot down by the legislature. Now, Paterson has not always had the best ideas when it comes to alleviating the deficit, the fat tax for example, but to request the legislature spend some serious time on the issue is NOT crazy, or unresonable for that matter.

While Paterson may not have the best ideas for decreasing the deficit, the best ideas almost never come from one person. What i am hinting at is the fact that great, truly great, ideas come from open collaboration. If the legislature would stop being afraid of having to cut spending, which would risk their re-election, they might be able to solve a real problem every now and again.

If the legislature, and i mean both Assembly and Senate, do not consider taking a serious look at the deficit then i would encourage everyone to vote their representitive out of office. Show this state that the voters are serious about getting work done, not just having asses fill seats in government.

Lazio….Really…Again?

I know it has been a while since i updated everyone. That would be becasue my Masters Program is consuming all the time i could possibly have to write anything about Albany. However, when i saw the news that Rick Lazio was going to enter the Gubnatorial Race I felt the need to get this in, for your sake and my own.

I want to start with Party has nothing to do with my critique of Lazio. Yes, he is a republican, and yes i am not all that fond of republicans. However, even i will admit when i see a a good politcian and a good leader. Rick Lazio is neither of these. Here is a man that runs for every political office in the state. Literally, i think since i have been alive i have seen more “vote for Rick Lazio” posters than anyone else. Yet, he never wins.

There has to be a reason for this…oh yeah, it’s because he is ingenuine and has bad ideas for the state. For example, he would like to eliminate one representitve body in the state. WTF???? We have a bi-cameral system in place for a reason. It ensures that everyone has a voice and ensures bills get vetted correctly. Then again this system can only work correctly when democracy works correctly, and we all know that has been a problem for a while now here in New York.

But suggesting we eliminate one legislative body because we are dysfuctional, at least in my view, is giving up on efficiant democracy. It is like when a car tire goes flat, normally a person would just get another tire…(get new legislators)…but Lazio suggests we eliminate an etire axel system and run the damn thing on two wheels. Does that make any sense at all…no, the answer is no, and i know some of you out there are saying but it will streamline the system and that will be good. Yes, it will make the process faster, but not better. Democracy is a slow process, always has been, always will be.

Nevermind that New York has a much too diverse population to do a single legislature. Think about that for a second…New York City has more people than the rest of the entire state, but they should only get one vote. Your right, that sounds reasonable Lazio. I know upstaters and down staters don’t always get along, and thats fine, we have very different needs. However, a single house would be pointless becasue then upstate would be the only one represented fairly. We need both houses to represent both areas.

On a nicer note…Lazio does support a constitutional convention, which i think should happen every chance we get. Sadly, he wants to drive the state into the hole. So, i must openly say that i can not and will not support Lazio…for anything, much less for Governor.

Espada Continues To Be Appeased

So, after attempting to overthrow the Democratic Majority Senator Espada was given more than just a title bump and a “c’est la vie” from party members. According to new reports Espada has already received over 500,000 dollars in support staff.

Now it was my understanding that New York State in currently in a serious recession which has prompted state government to cut programs, staff, and a myriad of other resources. Yet here stands Espada, the new majority leader, who demands he receive more than any other. This does not sound like the fair and balanced bi-partisan government Espada was toting on about during the Coup attempt.

Now lets say, for arguments sake, that Espada wanted to use the excess 500,000 for issue staff that would look into a bi-partisan, fair New York State. Then i doubt he would have hired a convicted campaign finance violater or the attorny that he is using to pay off the 75,000 Espada owes in Campaign Finance Violation fines.

I think it fairly clear now that Espada’s goals were never aimed at creating a more fair and bi-partisan state government. He was out for a power grab. He saw an oppertunity to double his influance and income by hijacking the state senate. Espada should, absolutly and unequivocally, be voted out of office. He has no regard for a better New York, he is just a selfish, power hungry politician who should be looked at a little closer by Andrew Cuomo.