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!

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.

Oink Oink: The Pigs Gone Downstate

First let me start with I apologize to anyone who reads my blog regularly. I have not been posting as often as usual due to being out of town and being busy working two jobs.

With that said, lets discuss the loss of Pork (aka Member-items) to Upstate New York. Newspapers across the state are reporting that Upstate New York has seen a record loss in member item allocated dollars. Somehow this is a suprise to them.

Yes, it is undeniable that every single leader, Republican and Democrat, in the state houses are from downstate resulting in more money flowing to the city and surrounding areas. Yet this is not the sole reason why money is going downstate.

Pork dollars have begun to go downstate because downstate puts more money into the state. Overall downstate puts in way more in taxes than upstate. So, if they recieve more pork, it is not completely unexpected.

Also, Downstate is haveing a more severe recession then upstate areas. Now, i am not saying that upstate is not having problems, it is. However, the majority of people working downstate work in banks, on wall street, in short, the financial sector. This is where the biggest hurt happend. So, more of them are losing their jobs. Which means they will need more pork to support their municipal goings on.

More importantly, the question needs to be asked about how pork is allocated. Yes, it is unfair. Yes, some years minority members do not recieve the money they need. And yes, a new process is needed. Personally, i am not sure what that is.

However, if i had to take a stab in the dark it would be taking all the projects and members asking for pork and do a needs analysis for the community. I gurantee that if this is done less pork will be doled out and when it is it will have a larger impact. but thats just my thoughts…

Local Vs. State Control

So, since there is little to dicuss in the about legislation or any proactive action by our state government i thought this would be a good time to talk about something that has plauged New York, and most states, for awhile now. People have been squabbling about who should get to decide how to run their communities, Local governments or State Governments.

Thos who support local government control argue that the state is out of touch of the needs of their community and what their community needs. Often times that is followed up with the argument that small towns and small cities do not have the power that larger cities have and therefore their power is even more reduced.

I even agree with some of these claims. Local governments are much more in touch with communities than state governments are. However, here is where I begin to disagree with the fundemental argument that local governments should have more power.

Local governments and State Governments do not share a federal system like state and federal government. Those powers not reserved by the states do not fall to the communitites. The states are responsible for governing their respective territories completely. In other words, state governments have the final say in every action taken by any local entity. Any and every State Law usurps any and every local law.

Also, on a more commen sense level, what would happen if every local municipality had the power to have conflicting laws and conflicting reasons for such laws. How would the judiciary decide any ruling opinions? It would be anarchy. There could be no precedents to be set, which would impeed on higher courts from decideing other cases.

So, on the mere common sense level the idea of local governments running themselves fails. Which means I do not really have to get into the fact that local governments have proven time and again that without state intervention they would fall apart and not be able to do anything. So, we have no other way to conclude this than with…fix the state government because the local governments are purely advisory. Without our ruling body the state will fall into anarchy.

By Judicial Decree

Thats right, it took a judicial decree to force our New York State Senate to conveen as one whole body. See the State Senate is acting like two brothers who do not want to share a toy. So, the mother (the judiciary) must step in and force them to get along.

The fact that it came to a judicial order to force their hand is an embarresment to the state and the electorate. Our legislative body is so dysfuctional, so pathetic, so thick-headed, that they require another branch of the government to tell them what to do and when to do it.

In a tripartite government each body should be able to act as an autonomous entity. Meaning each one should be able to function with as little interferance from the other two as possible. So, when i say it is embarrassing that our legislature needs another branch to force it to do its job, its an absolute truth. Rather than working like a smooth system, with each branch doing its job. New York State has the Executive and Judicial branches babysitting a dysfunctional legislature pulling them away from their respective duties, making the whole system fall apart.

I suppose this is why we have three branches of government, to ensure the rights of the voting electorate. However, New York is a special case scenario. The founders created the three branch system as a fail safe, a back up to the voters not being able to take action. Which, we can’t currently. But, once we are given to option to fix the problem it is in the voters hands again.

New York has taken the opposite approach. We have decided to rely on the fail-safe of the three branch system exclusively. We continually re-elect the same people to office ensuring the continuation of the problem. Fix the problem people. Stop looking at this situation and saying “not my legislator” becasue it is your legislator, its all of them. Get with it and make an informed decision rather than a decsion that continues the the problem.

Back to Basics…

Rudy Giuliani has finally said something more impressive than the words September 11th. Giuliani has suggested that the state re-evaluate its constitution and hold a convention.

New York has the option of hold a convention every 20 years or so. The last one was held in 1967. In order to hold a convention the state, as a whole, must vote up or down to open a convention. Should that happen the elctorate would vote on delegates. The Delegates would conveen in Albany and come up with changes to the State constitution which then voters would vote to adopt the changes and henceforth the new constitution.

So, why should the state take this kind of action? Well, there are several things wrong with the constitution. Firstly, New York has decided that it will pass constitutional amendments rather than laws in order to keep corruption out of the system. The fall off however is that amendments are inherantly harder change making them more perminate. Henceforth, making our constitution antiquated.

So, the only way to fix the backroom dealing, rentention rate, and leadership issues we must fix the states legal document. It would give the voters a chance to make real change in the state and not have to rely on professional politicians to do it since none of them can be elected to the delegation.

By removing all current politicians we will have the chance to clean up the state and remove all the gunk that has bogged our electoral system down. We only stand to gain through this process. It needs to be done and should be done.

We have the chance to hold a constitutional convention in 2010 if the voters decide to hold one. Lets take that chance.

A Tale of Two Senates

Where to begin …I suppose the only appropriate place to start is to recap a little of what happend in the New York State Senate Yesterday Afternoon.

Essentially both “majorities” showed up for special session, at different times of course, and proceeded to hold two different sessions of Senate. At 2 pm Republicans held session while the Democrats remained seated in their chairs. At that point Republicans “passed” legislation by pretending to vote. In reality all they did was read the names of senators present saying that counted as a vote. So, in their version of democracy all bills passed unopposed.

Then at 3 pm the Democrats held session, acting similarly to the Republicans. Bringing bills to the floor and voting on them. More importantly I suppose is the fact that while each Presiding President Pro Tempore of the two sessions spoke the opposing one isisted on making cat calls trying to interrupt them. In fact at one point opposing senators began making personal attacks at each other reminiscent of playgrounf bullying. Proud I am to be a New Yorker….

Essentially, at this point, every single New Yorker needs to consider how our state government is operating…or lack thereof. Our elected officials are acting in a way that parents of 5 year olds would not put up with. Why should we, the responsible voting electorate, allow them to retain their positions when they cleary can not handle the responsibility of the position. I am not talking about one or two of them. I am saying the unit, as a whole, is useless.

What should we do then? Vote them all out. Every single one. Whoever “the other guy” is, vote him in office. I would rather have someone who knows nothing of state government, someone who is on the exact opposite political spectrum of me, but believes in democracy and has the integrity to act democratically than any of the people currently filling those positions.

The need for this kind of action is obvious. We do not have a functioning democracy as long as representitves that continue the old practices remain. By establishing new blood in the chambers, all of them, this state stands a chance at regaining glory. Until then, New York will be the laughing stock of the nation. As the actions of the Senate have proved.

Loose Ends and Gay Marriage

First, let me apologize for not updating the blog in a few days. I have been very busy working two jobs trying to pay for my Masters in Communications.

As far as everything in the senate in concerned they are doing exactally what i said would happen. They are compromising the necessary business of the people of the State of New York for their own politcal gains. I agree whole heartedly with Governor David Paterson. He absolutly should compel the legislature to be in Albany until all necessary business is concluded.

One of those necessary actions should be Gay Marriage Reforms. This has been talked about for far too long now. It is time to just vote on it and let it pass. Gay individuals are not asking to become apart of our churches, they are not asking to join any religous activites at all, they just want to recieve the tax benefits that everyone else is entitled to when they get married. I agree with this action. Everyone should be entitled to the same benefits as everyone else.

However, I believe the necessary change is not the ones the state is considering. The problem the state has crashed into with Gay Marriage is a problem of legel wording. The state’s statuates state the benefits are levied when someone is “Married”. Marriage is a religous term coined by Jewish and Chistian sects. This means a religous entity, the church who defines the term, has the discrection of what Marriage is. Therefore, they can decide if Marriage is between a Man and a Women or not.

This is not a term that should be in legal, SECULAR, documents. In order to eleiviate the problem the law should be changed for all people to a union. Union would just replace marriage in the law keeping all the benefits for all people, including Gays. Under a wording change like this all people would have to registar with the state as two people coming together in a union. Then after they receive their Secular union the couple can choose whether or not they would like to recieve a Sacrament of the church.

This would exonerate the state from making a decsion of what marriage is or is not and allows the church to continue whatever its defination of marriage is or is not. It is the perfect answer.

A New Leader Emerges

Well, we are beginning to see some results from the recent changes in the Senate. The Most important of which is the creation of what seems to be a split leadership position within the democratic party.

While Malcom Smith is going to take care of all the “Outside Issues” such as getting democrats re-elected and filling seats. Senator John Sampson of Brooklyn will be assuming the other half of the Majority Leaders abilites. I suppose this means the day-to-day operations of the Senate. Problem is, what does that mean…If Smith is only dealing with “external issues” than does that mean Sampson is going to be on the gavel from now on? I suppose that question can not be answered until a majority is formed or solidified by either one party or the courts.

All we do know, at this time, is that the Senate Democratic Party has been split into down the middle with two leaders. This appreach did not work for the Roman Republic, its not going to work now. By spliting the party the democrats are creating a crevas for the Republicans to worm their way into. Eventually, if the divide remains, the Republicans will take control of the senate, again.

It is going to be imperitive to hold a majority until 2010. 2010 is the year the census comes out, and with every census comes the re-districting of all electoral districts. So, we are not just talking about State Assembly and State Senate, we are talking Congress as well. If the Republicans hold the majority they can re-district as they please and vice-versa for the Dems. Problem being that the Republicans have held this honor for several years and have gerrymandered the districts beyond recognition.

So, a change would be good. Make the process a bit more representitve of what the areas actually have in voter registration.

However, the chances of reform here are very low. We have to remember that the democrats have held the Assembly as long as the Republicans held the Senate. So, they are just as bad. But now everyone understand why the republicans are so interested in getting thier power back and not waiting for an election.

3 Men In A Room

With the change of power in the senate, once again, we have a party touting on about how they are going to put some sunshine into the legislative process. Republicans say they are going to eliminate the 3 men in the room staple in Albany. Nevermind that republicans held power for more than 15 years and never fixed the process. Nevertheless, the GOP says it is going to do it now.

The 3 Men in the Room is, well exactally what it seems, the Governor, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Majority Leader of the Senate get together and broker a deal about what legislation each party wants passed. Whatever compromise is created the leaders then deliver the votes. The only reason the leaders can make this happen is because the Speaker of the Assembly and the Majority Leader of the Senate controls the allocation of campaign funds and they decide who is in leadership positions. Even the most government inept person can see this process is not even close to democratic.

So how do we solve the problem? Well, there are a few things that need to happen in order counteract the problem:

1. We can not allow the Leaders to be in charge of campaign funds. This just makes sense. If they can decide how much money candidates get for re-election they have a coercive power over legislators votes. Eliminate the money, eliminate the problem.

2. Allow the committees to pick their chairs. These are people who are supposedly deeply invested in the issues they work on. Let them pick the best man for the job, not the leaders.

3. Make it illigal for the leaders to administer repercussions for not falling in line. Sometimes legislators need to do what they think is right, whether or not the leaders agree with it. Currently, they do not have that judgement. They need to be able to vote however they choose, rather than how their leader feels.

These are just a few reforms that need to be adopted in order to create a more democratic society in New York. Do I think it is going to happen…not likly. The Democrats complained about these issues when they were in the minority and then did nothing when they had the power. So, i doubt republicans will act any differently. Good luck New York….