If you really needed a reminder of the ethical mess smoldering in the State Capitol, yet another lawmaker was arrested and hit with corruption charges last month.
But perhaps because State Senator Robert Ortt represents a district in faraway western New York – or perhaps we’re just getting used to it – his case received little attention here in New York City.
Also receiving little attention from lawmakers and Governor Cuomo is ethics reform. As Lisa Foderaro points out in today’s New York Times, there was nothing about ethics in the monster set of budget bills passed by state lawmakers last week and over the weekend.
And there’s been hardly a peep from Governor Cuomo about ethics since he started his budget victory lap this week. While the governor, Assembly, State Senate, can all point to their own set of proposals to drain the swamp, they’re never on the same page – allowing them to blame the other guy on an annual basis.
After both the speaker of the Assembly and the majority leader of the State Senate were arrested and convicted on federal corruption charges, you’d think that the cases would serve as a wake-up call to lawmakers that things need to change. But living in denial, they are embracing business as usual – particularly in the State Senate.
Many of the governor’s proposals are sensible: limiting the outside income of lawmakers is smart, particularly if they’re given a long-overdue pay raise. And it’s high time that the state starts experimenting with a campaign finance system like the one that’s largely been successful in New York City.
But change also comes from the top. While Cuomo has political coverage by pointing at the raft of proposals he’s pushing, he needs to walk the walk by taking on ethics like he has for other causes he’s embraced like same-sex marriage, gun control, and the just-passed “Raise the Age” legislation.
The good news is the legislature will be in session for another two months. But that clock just keeps on ticking.
Bob Hardt