New York's State Senate: A Story of Fallen Leadership and Vision

A quick glance into the history books about New York State reveals how far our government in Albany has fallen.

Our state government, which once had the vision to build the Erie Canal, set aside the Adirondack Park as "forever wild," and connect our far-flung state by constructing the Thruway, has fallen into such a funk of dysfunctional paralysis that it can no long perform even the most basic tasks of government.

How far have we fallen? This past summer, during the Senate "coup," the legislative process was reduced to, "Gavel in... Gavel out," where nothing was accomplished while the state's economy crumbled.

Later, headlines screamed about the conviction of the former Senate Majority Leader, Joe Bruno, on two felony counts, Senator Hiram Monserrate's domestic violence trial and the AG's investigation into the present Majority Leader Pedro Espada's campaign violations.

In 2004, the archaic rules of the Senate forced the Brennan Center of Justice to conclude that our legislature was the nation's most dysfunctional, more ineffective than Mississippi, Louisiana and California. Despite the Senate's making a few cosmetic rules changes, the Brennan Center reiterated its verdict in 2006.

FDR, who once served in the Senate chamber in Albany, must be turning in his grave.

A group of New Yorkers who believe that an ethical state government has an important role to play in our lives, have come together to create RebootNY (www.rebootny.org). RebootNY is a PAC dedicated to electing Senators who will make fixing our government through reforming the rules of the Senate, reforming the redistricting process and reforming the way our elections are funded in New York their top priorities.

The electorate is rightfully angry, but the public needs to funnel that anger for the public good. We can start by Rebooting the State Senate and electing reform minded people who will restore leadership, vision and dignity to the Senate Chamber.

 

Follow Brian Keeler on Twitter: www.twitter.com/NYBri

Comments

[Capn Transit]

Now I've read both The Power Broker and Wedding of the Waters, and the Legislature seemed pretty messed up in both those times as well. Maybe they got things done, but how representative were they really?

I guess I'd just like to see a real example of a functioning, representative State Senate that we can be striving to recreate or emulate. And while building the Thruway was impressive, I can't say I want to do that again.

[Grim]

We have to get through to voters if we want to fix the NY State Senate. It's really easy to blame the people in Albany, but we are the ones that put them there. We need to get them educated and get them to vote in their best interests.