On any given day, one can create a checklist of issues facing us in this state: issues which need addressing by our Albany legislators in a timely manner; issues which affect millions of New Yorkers in profound ways. And yet, Albany’s collective response over time has left a lot to be desired. It is no secret that between the Senate (now 62 members) and the Assembly (150 members), Albany has been dysfunctional for years: very little gets done. It’s a joke that isn’t funny anymore: it’s an ongoing situation of which most serious political people have become frustratingly inured.
Over the years, there have been too few individuals who intermittently jumped up to seize the mantle for change in Albany. Over the years, there have been too few individuals willing to articulate a framework for reforming the way business is done up there: Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi was one. And there have been too few elected officials willing to fight to change the sterile leadership of Speaker Sheldon Silver (as a precursor to real reform): Assemblyman Michael J. Bragman was one. The point is this: Albany harbors too many political cowards and convenient opportunists.
The mainstream media loves to focus on (and talk about) the three men in the room (the governor, the assembly speaker and senate majority leader), who wields the political power in this state; and they are correct. And yet there is something obscene about having power but not using it for the greater good. It’s time to change Albany. In fact, it is way past overtime.
Relative to all the other big states in the union, New York seems to lose population with every recent census-take. Middle class people are being driven away by the score. Jobs are too few and taxes are comparatively exorbitant. Rents are too high, home-ownership is too challenging and foreclosures are too many. And in our high schools: reading, math and science scores are too low, while high-quality teachers are too few.
In New York, the cost of living is too high. The price for a quality education is much too expensive. The cost of doing business here is also much too high. And the number of people who vote is way too low. And because of the latter, the same old, same old faces, stay in the high places in Albany, as if no one cares.
Recently, the anointed one, Andrew Cuomo (Prince Andrew) has advanced his multi-point proposal for reforming Albany: whoop-dee-damn-doo. Where has Andrew Cuomo been all these years? While many of us in both mainstream and alternative media were clamoring for new ideas along reform lines, Andrew has been as silent as the proverbial parlor mouse. And suddenly, now that he is running for governor, Andrew conveniently discovers that Albany is dysfunctional? And we have to deem him credible on this issue just because his victory seems imminent?
For progressives, I believe the only hope for real reform in Albany, lies in the hands of Senator John Sampson- conference leader of the democrats in the senate. He has only recently lucked in to this leadership position, so we need to give him a little more time: but John needs to step up his game (and soon).
Sampson won his seat back in 1996 and then became the youngest member of both houses of the legislature. He has had enough time to survey the lay of the land. He must know by now, the strengths and weaknesses of both chambers. He needs to present his own reform package. Sampson needs to present a term-limit proposal for both chambers. State officials -from the governor down- should be limited to six terms (12 year total). He needs to revamp committee assignments in order to make committees function better: and the rules under which committees operate also need to be re-evaluated. The way bills are introduced, debated on, and voted on, isn’t healthy for the polity. The way resources are distributed can be too punitive and arbitrary: this too must change. The pay to play system needs to be overhauled. The undue influence of lobbyists and ex-electeds with their links to PR/consulting firms need to be scrutinized; so too the hijacking of the electoral process by both republicans and democrats; so too the obscene power of major unions to whom too many electeds owe their jobs; so too campaign finance reform and ballot-access reforms; and the whole budget process should be completely scrutinized. The next re-districting process must be transparent and John Sampson should be adamant about this. I could go on and on here since there are so many pressing issues facing us.
We need to alleviate the suffering of the lower middle-class here. We need tax relief for both low and middle-income working folks. We are the highest taxed state in the union and attendant services don’t equate. We need to re-focus on the natural environment and its erosions. We need to establish a “Kerner-Commission” to deal with education: a position I have now been advocating or over a quarter century. We keep sinking money into this black-hole called “education-spending” without ever getting one great big bang for all our bucks. We need both evolution and revolution in contemporary education.
We need to address the oppressing needs of the majority of people who predominate “specific” communities of color: they are hurting; and hurting badly. We need to make the state more business-friendly. We have to bring back factories, labs and industries to the upstate regions, through sane public policy, incentives and innovations. And while I am glad to see the legislature, finally moving to stop all that money the state has been hemorrhaging to Las Vegas, Connecticut and New Jersey casinos, they aren’t moving fast enough: and they are over a quarter century too late on this issue anyway. We need to get government into the job-creation business without overwhelming the private sector. We need honest leaders who are strong and untainted. In Albany, we need big change: not small change.
Look, there are many many other issues needing our imagination and creativity. We need new ideas like never before; and as I said: on any given day there is a long laundry list of issues facing this state -in need of address. John Sampson has a moment in history wherein he can he can emerge as a serious leader and a true statesman. If he succeeds he can be the first black man elected to the governorship of this state. Let’s wish him luck.
And let’s stay tuned-in folks.