New York Civic

Obesity Rising Sharply In US;

City Bans Sale Of Sugary Soda

In Cartons Larger Than 16 oz

Henry J. Stern

Henry J. Stern is the founder and president of New York Civic.

Friday, September 28th, 2012

Observers of city government have learned about a wide variety of local issues in recent years. Today a new question is before us.

We have written about education, housing, planning and development, health care, crime and punishment, air and water quality, rent control, housing and planning, waste disposal, public sector unions, race and intergroup relations, as well as political topics such as districting, elections, campaign finance and term limits.

This year recurring scandals involving legislators have provided an ominous background for the solons’ deliberations. It is hard to pay close attention to the intricacies of local laws when your colleagues are in the dock.

Reform An Elusive Goal

JCOPE Off To A Slow Start;

Can The Legislature Cure Itself?

Henry J. Stern

Henry J. Stern is the founder and president of New York Civic.

Wednesday, September 19th, 2012

The issue of ethics reform in Albany has bounced around for several years. Everyone is supposed to favor it, but somehow it never happens.

The controversy caught fire in 2006 when the Brennan Center for Justice, affiliated with New York University School of Law, was said to have concluded that New York State had the most dysfunctional legislature in the country. It has been disputed whether that phrase actually appears in the report. That to us is akin to the historical question: Did Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, actually say "Let them eat cake" when she was told that the peasants in France had no bread?

In fact, there is no evidence that she used those words, and the phrase must be considered an urban legend. But it resonated as a statement of royal disdain for the plight of poor people, and it may have contributed to the climate which led to the guillotining of Marie Antoinette and her husband, King Louis XVI.

Searching For Diogenes

Why Many Politicians

Disappoint The Public

Henry J. Stern

Henry J. Stern is the founder and president of New York Civic.

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

One of the perennial questions citizens ask about government is: why is it so corrupt? People who read newspapers, listen to the radio or watch television encounter a steady flow of stories recounting misconduct by public officials or reporting the details of their arrests, trials and, in many cases, convictions. The crimes of Shirley Huntley, Carl Kruger, Vito Lopez, Naomi Rivera and Larry Seabrook have been reported in great detail.

The crimes of politicians can easily be divided in two classes: job related and non-job related. Soliciting or accepting a bribe in exchange for a vote or a contract is job related, while sexual misconduct, such as former Governor Spitzer’s acts, is considered non-job related.

The two categories overlap when the misconduct involves public employees, particularly if they are forced into unwanted personal relationships with their colleagues or superiors.

Power Is The Garden Of Good And Evil

Edward C. Sullivan

Edward C. Sullivan served in the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 2002.

Monday, September 10th, 2012

Today we offer additional commentary on the ongoing scandal born of the State Assembly and now encompassing two statewide offices. Like our recent essay on the matter, Mr Sullivan observes the inner-workings of the Assembly, his perspective being that of a long-time member and committee chair.

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There are calls these days for the reining in, or even the resignation, of State Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, the powerful leader of the Assembly Democrats in Albany.

Some people are upset over the way he has handled the misbehavior of Vito Lopez, a Democratic Assembly Member and, until recently, an ally of the Speaker. Lopez was the Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee for years, before Silver removed him from that position, after allegations of sexual abuse of Assembly staff members under Lopez’ supervision were upheld by the State Ethics Commission. Silver also stripped Lopez of perks due him as a senior Member of the Assembly.

Speaker Shields Sinners

Silver Tries To Protect His Members

But They Keep Getting Into Trouble

Henry J. Stern

Henry J. Stern is the founder and president of New York Civic.

Friday, August 31st, 2012

In our observation of the ethical practices of the New York State Legislature, we notice that challenges seem to arise in bunches. The situation will be relatively quiescent for a while, then something will happen: an accusation, the release of reports, the discovery of data previously concealed or later redacted, a confrontation between powerful figures - an unexpected event that will expose cracks and seams in the existing political structure and may set off a string of seemingly unrelated, but inherently similar, events on other levels of government.

Part of the problem is the enormous imbalance of talent in each house. Speaker Silver is smarter and more practical than the heavy majority that he formally leads. He has an ongoing ethical problem stemming from his private law practice Weitz and Luxenberg, but if that issue is settled, the speaker will be no more vulnerable than most of the colleagues he so diligently protects. To put it simply: Speaker Silver is an insurance policy for his members. He seeks to shield their misdeeds from public scrutiny when he is able to do so. He tries to soften their penalties if they can not be avoided. He supports legislators when they get in trouble, which is too often, and they support him on the public issues which are his priorities.