Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Paterson signs Public Authorities Bill

From the NY Times:

After years of debate and a string of corruption scandals, state officials moved on Friday to impose sweeping new oversight provisions on the state’s hundreds of public authorities, which have long functioned as a virtual shadow government largely immune to public accountability.

The law, passed by the Legislature this month and signed by Gov. David A. Paterson on Friday, was hailed by government watchdog groups as one of the most significant reforms in decades. It was one of the few such efforts led chiefly by the Legislature, long a place where bills intended to promote greater government accountability go to wither and die.

Public authorities have been a powerful yet inscrutable force in New York for decades, charged with running the state’s highways and mass transit systems, spearheading economic development and managing power plants. They range from the sprawling Metropolitan Transportation Authority to the small Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Authority.

“Today, we return to the control of the people of the state their most powerful institutions,” said Assemblyman Richard L. Brodsky, a Westchester Democrat, who was a chief sponsor of the new legislation. “If you go to school in New York City, you use the School Construction Authority. If you go to a hospital, you use the Health and Hospitals Corporation. The subways. The buses. The lives of New Yorkers are impacted by the operations of state authorities to an infinitely greater extent than they are by the departments of state government.”

For the first time, board members of those authorities will have a legal obligation, known as a fiduciary duty, to protect the interests and mission of the authorities they supervise, rather than being beholden to the mayors, governors and legislative leaders who appoint them. The new law will require authorities to seek approval from the state comptroller for most contracts of over $1 million that are not competitively bid.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

How does this impact the NYC EDC? Is this in time to help the folks at Wallets Point? Will we finally get to see Shulman in an orange jumpsuit?

LIno said...

" It was one of the few such efforts led chiefly by the Legislature, long a place where bills intended to promote greater government accountability go to wither and die"

A Legislature led by Republicans since 1965.

Democrats are no angels with regard to slush funds etc, but bills like this are THE reason why they are the better party for the middle class.

Of course if we get another gop majority they'll quietly strangle it all such legislation.

Anonymous said...

Yes, because Democrats do not seek to benefit from such secret arrangements. Actually, why wasn't this bill introduced years ago? No reason why it couldn't pass the assembly. Brodsky has been in there for quite some time.

Anonymous said...

Yeah right, oversight by these crooks? They have their best buddies and families running the many cash cows. Must be something else I am missing here.

Anonymous said...

Hey Lino- How long has the assembly been in democrat control?

Gary the Agnostic said...

Anonymous said...
Hey Lino- How long has the assembly been in democrat control?

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
-----------------------------------
How long was the State Senate in Repub control? (You can say Democrat--I can say Repub).

Lino said...

"Anonymous said...
Hey Lino- How long has the assembly been in democrat control?"

If I recall correctly: 1975.

As a side point, the takeover was due in part to the original decontrol fiasco (1971-1974) which led to runaway rent increases and harassment so severe that the State Senate passed the Emergency Tenant Protection Act and imposed rent Stabilization.

We would have been the republicans in the Senate years ago but upstate farmers ans such kept solidly voting them in. Now that the demographics are changing up there, that is ending.

Gary the Agnostic said...

Lino said...
"Anonymous said...
Hey Lino- How long has the assembly been in democrat control?"

If I recall correctly: 1975.

As a side point, the takeover was due in part to the original decontrol fiasco (1971-1974) which led to runaway rent increases and harassment so severe that the State Senate passed the Emergency Tenant Protection Act and imposed rent Stabilization.

We would have been the republicans in the Senate years ago but upstate farmers ans such kept solidly voting them in. Now that the demographics are changing up there, that is ending.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009
---------------------------------

The Democratic Party took control of the Assembly in 1964, following the Johnson landslide.

Lino said...

Gary the Agnostic said...

"The Democratic Party took control of the Assembly in 1964, following the Johnson landslide."

I could not find any direct reference to 1964 but the oblique remark in Wikipedia may indicate we are both right:

"The Assembly is dominated by the Democrats, who currently hold a 63-seat supermajority in the chamber. The Assembly's apportionment strongly favors the state's traditional Democratic strongholds of New York City (where the Democrats hold all but one seat), Western New York and the Capital District. The Democrats have controlled the Assembly since 1975, and for all but five years since 1959."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_State_Assembly