Monday, February 18, 2008

Throw the bums out already

The average length of employment in the United States, per a 1998 study, is 6.6 years. Of the 106 Democratic members of the New York State Assembly, 51 were elected in this decade. 31 came to their seats in the nineties; 16 in the eighties; and eight members have been in office since the seventies, including, of course, Speaker Silver himself.

The problem with our legislature

The 106 Democratic members of the Assembly have, cumulatively, spent 1,335 years in Albany. That is, on average, twelve years and seven months, or roughly twice as long as the average U.S. employee remains in a given job.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Throw Sliver out already - he is not representing his district, only himself enjoying holding up legislation being a power broker.

Term limits for State Office would solve many gridlock issues in Albany. How about having those folks that run for National office and spends all their time away in other states? Were getting ripped off big time.

Anonymous said...

Seminario should definitly go but that doesnt change how disappointed I am at Queenscrap's partisanship.

Queens Crapper said...

What partisanship? I'm not even registered with a political party.

Anonymous said...

The Daily Gotham is Grassroots News and Activism for New Yorkers. Some people feel intimidated by that, namely incumbents.

Anonymous said...

The Daily Gotham is Grassroots News and Activism for New Yorkers.

For New Yorkers, ha - support Gloria Steinen & Norm Siegal, speak for yourself? Your probably are moving in to the luxo towers in LIC, corrupt that corner of Queens. You should move into Queensbridge houses instead where you could spew your brand of activism where it could be embraced and pay people to listen to it. You did not meet enough rich folks in Manhattan to subsidize your viewpoints or something along those lines? Lot's of illegals here for you to create new causes though, but without much cash I'am afraid and machoism is a problem in this group where Ms. Steinem is concern - she could use an ethnic date - plenty to be had for pay in LIC.

Anonymous said...

Even with term limits, it is still difficult for an average citizen to run for office. With term limits, incumbents would simply pass their seats to their children or spouses.

Someone should publish a "guide for wannabe candidates," explaining which forms to sign, how many petitions to gather, and how to survive petition challenges. That way, more ordinary folks would be able to toss their hats into the ring and win.

Anonymous said...

Hmm, well all I know is that Norm Siegel is running for public advocate and more than likely will actually DO something in that position, unlike its current occupant who stays silent while Bloomberg runs roughshod over the rights of people in this city.

Anonymous said...

People are always hating on Silver, what do they really know about him and what he does?

The way the governent is constructed in NYC and NYS, the mayor and governor would have almost unlimited power in the absense of a powerful assembly speaker.

He has stopped a lot of bad mega-projects that would have cost taxpayers untold billions of dollars.

verdi said...

I've always said that we need term limits
for all of our Albany representatives .....
along with some prison terms for a few !

Howwa ya doin' Brian?
Miss your old "job" at the Central Labor Council?

Anonymous said...

People are always hating on Silver. Hate? I don't know about that, you may. Despise yes! A shadowy character in government who get's off on having it his own way - a deal maker using your dime to make everyone miserable especially holding up project after project to spite folks.

Get the bum out already - a Sheldom Silver is hanging onto the last vestiges of the back room smoke filled room. Why his district is 9/11 - why do we still have a hole in the ground? The poor families of the victims have nothing down there. Silver is busy making sure no progress is ever made and with Spitzer on board you can be sure nothing good ever happening is a sure thing.