“Lord, what fools these mortals be.”
We don”™t think Shakespeare was talking about politicians when he wrote down these words. However ”¦
Maybe we give our elected officials too much responsibility.
Or maybe they just become too distracted and cannot concentrate on the task at hand, which would be to represent the will of the people.
The majority are not doing a good job at representing or even looking out for the welfare of businesses in this state.
Politics has a way of turning mere mortals”™ heads upside-down.
Ideals, good intentions and even morals have been known to fall by the wayside once men and women take their respective oaths of office.
Power has a way of corrupting ”“ not always in an illegal sense, but in altering one”™s integrity, shaping it to meet the demands of the power brokers and party leaders.
Partisanship breeds no good will.
Today, more than ever, as our state teeters on the edge of insolvency, there is a need for bipartisanship.
Sometimes lawmakers vote with their constituents in mind regardless of party affiliation. Witness some of the local Assembly Democrats who broke ranks to vote against the MTA bailout and payroll tax: Sandra Galef of Ossining, Ellen Jaffee of Pearl River, Frank Skartados of Milton and Kenneth Zebrowski of New City.
All of the Republicans in the lower Hudson Valley delegation in both the Assembly and Senate voted against the bill.
Still, the lack of accountability that pervades our state is nearly overwhelming.
If American soldiers can risk their lives for our nation, why can”™t our politicians be willing to risk their jobs to do what”™s right?
We”™re not asking them to go on the frontlines of Iraq or Afghanistan.
All we are asking from them is to do the job they were elected to do.
Unfortunately, the majority of Albany lawmakers are not focused on the state”™s economic mess.
The one common denominator is: re-election at any price.
Even when it appears lawmakers are doing something good, it”™s usually to make themselves look good.
Witness this press release last week from Sen. Liz Krueger concerning the state budget process.
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“New York”™s fiscal planning process is inefficient, short-sighted and anything but transparent,” said Krueger, who is chairwoman of the New York State Senate Select Committee on Budget and Tax Reform and vice chairwoman of the Finance Committee.
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“The current fiscal planning process encourages budgets New York state cannot afford. All too often, politics ”“ more than fiscal realities ”“ draw the bottom line in Albany,” she said.
“By moving the fiscal year to June 1, creating a legislative budget office and adopting the generally accepted accounting principles, we can introduce into the budget process a much-needed dose of reality.”
Well, OK, that”™s a move in the right direction.
But the Finance Committee is populated with longtime politicians who have not helped the budget in many years past.
Perhaps they abide by the adage: Don”™t do as I do, do as I say.
Another common factor among lawmakers is to file dozens of bills that have no impact on residents of the state.
For example, since January 2009, Sen. Vincent Leibell has sponsored or had his name attached to 125 pieces of legislation.
Of those bills, 43 were adopted. And none were of major consequence, especially toward addressing the overarching economic needs of the state.
Leibell is not alone in regard to drawing up this type of legislation.
What makes him notable among the lower Hudson Valley delegation is the amount he earns and spends on staff, travel, services and other general expenses: $964,882 to be exact from April 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009. From April 1, 2009 to Sept. 30, 2009, his expenditures amounted to $334,007.89.
He was outdone, however, by colleague Sen. Stephen Saland, who weighed in with $1,006,296. Taking the top spot in the Senate was Sen. Dean Skelos with $1,274,354.
Over in the Assembly, Richard Brodsky took top honors in the Hudson Valley with $561,523.
Leibell became a state lawmaker in 1983 when he was elected to the Assembly.
Last year he voted against a government consolidation bill, A8501, which ended up passing the Senate 46-16.
In doling out member items, Leibell, in the year before the Democrats took over the Senate, handed out $2.1 million worth. In the 2009-10, his pork allotment dropped to $250,000.
It pays to be the party in power.
We”™re not sure if that $250,000 is enough pork to get re-elected.
Perhaps that”™s why news reports have indicated he may run for county executive in Putnam this year.
With Gov. David Paterson ending his ill-fated run for election, our state lawmakers now more than ever need to turn their attention to and act on the budget.
State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said that Paterson now needs to “make another wise choice” and let Lt. Gov. Richard Ravitch negotiate the budget with the Legislature.
“The circumstances are difficult and the budget clock is ticking. New Yorkers can”™t afford a government distracted during these rough economic times,” DiNapoli said.
We repeat, as we will continue to do so until Election Day:
If American soldiers can risk their lives for our nation, why can”™t our politicians be willing to risk their jobs to do what”™s right?
