In the final hours of the legislative session in June, lawmakers passed what they called "ethics reform." But some believe it's more notable for what wasn't included.
"The ethics bill is a major step forward," said Governor Andrew Cuomo. "Is it everything? No. Ethics, in many ways, is like other activities in life. It's an ongoing pursuit."
But critics say the legislation does little to pursue actual corruption. In the last year and a half, the leaders of both legislative houses were tried and convicted on federal corruption charges.
"The legislature and the governor missed a huge opportunity in responding to the outcry," said Dick Dadey of Citizens Union. "Ninety percent of New Yorkers wanted action on ethics reform that basically dealt with preventing corruption, and they did nothing."
"Certainly, Albany had a bad year in terms of trust. You have members of the legislature who were indicted, went to jail. So, they needed an ethics reform," Cuomo said.
The ethics reform requires more stringent separation between campaigns and independent expenditure groups that advocate for specific causes. It also appears to target nonprofit and good-government groups by forcing them disclose their donors.
7 comments:
Hahahahahahaha. The laugh's on us , the taxpayers! Once again.
Sheldon Silver buys another year of freedom,now that's what I call Ethics Reformed
Credit must go to the U.S. Supreme Court's McDonald decision. Which has completed the hat trick or trifecta of legalizing corruption, money and politics and total impunity, exclusivity and privilege of the elected and those campaigning, the goddamn greedy oligarchy and even this frivolous spending fucking consumer generation
Silver's release might be the worst thing and the hideous turning point of our justice system and how charges are meted out amongst all Americans for the near future. Cyncism has officially taken over.
Shelly Shady might be the establishment dem's Willie Horton.
Again, We have met the enemy and it has always been us
Alas, the whole system of state government is a mockery for which every single taxpayer continues to keep taking on the chin--and, it never ends!
Sheldon Silver and his henchman Dean Skelos murdered New York State--and, now they continue to be rewarded for massive failure, post conviction.
So, who gets sweetheart deals like this?? Not the poor and innocent--but, the guilty and obscenely wealthy and priviliged, and it devalues honesty itself!
New York will never be free of corruption, graft and greed as long as THIS Albany circus is in charge. The only problem with that is how everyone else continues to pay a soul-crushing price--where even good commerce and trade are the victims of their voracious greed!
Of course not. The corrupters have framed it to their advantage.
Off with the lawmakers' heads. LOL!
I'd settle for term limits in Albany.
The state capitol has become a robbers's roost, where term limited council members go to hide,
along with other shady politicians.
A lye enema wouldn't clean up that mess until chief crook Cuomo is replaced......
sigh....no doubt by another biilker, charlatan.
Term limits......
>"Cuomo and other state leaders have said previously that there are limits to what they can do to combat corruption, since they cannot legislate morality."
That's hysterical, given how the government legislates morality all the time. Seems the politicians only object when someone tries to legislate THEIR morality.
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