|
|
|
The Pluses and Minuses of Silver's Record
on Political Corruption Reform or
Why You Should Vote Against Sheldon Silver
|
Minus 1
SILVER FOISTS
SHAM GIFT BAN
LAW ON THE PUBLIC
|
Click on the New York Times Editorial dated January 18, 2000 entitled:
Gift Games in Albany
Here is an excerpt:
"Mr. Silver refused to go along with a gift ban after the Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, a Republican, had boldly persuaded his chamber to pass a bill that included several useful restrictions on gifts. Mr. Silver wanted to keep the Knicks and Rangers tickets flowing, so Mr. Pataki dropped his support for gift reform in exchange for Mr. Silver's agreement to drop another reform that Mr. Pataki did not like. The net result was a halfhearted ethics overhaul that did not fundamentally threaten Albany's pervasive culture of influence-peddling."
For the full article, go to the New York Times Website and type the following in the 365-Day Archive Search: "Gift Games in Albany"
|
|
|
Minus 2
Leader Silver Gives Away $400 Million In City Dollars To The Suburbs In Losing Cause
|
Last May, Speaker Silver tried to win commuter votes for a Democratic candidate in the suburbs by cutting the commuter tax. It didn't work. The Republican candidate won. Now the City is out $400 million annually for years to come.
Mayor Koch was so incensed that Democratic Speaker Silver gave away our tax dollars, he considered running against Silver himself!
Click on Mayor Ed Koch's column in the Daily News dated May 28, 1999:
Commuter-Tax Killers Should Be Voted Out
Here is an excerpt:
"J'accuse Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver of committing high crimes and misdemeanors, namely treason, against the people of New York City. It was Silver who made possible the devastating repeal of the city's commuter tax, whose death warrant Governor Pataki signed yesterday.
In a vain attempt to assist the Democratic candidate in a Rockland County Senate race, Silver joined forces with the State Senate Majority Leader Joe Bruno, who wanted to aide the Republican candidate."
Click on Mayor Ed Koch's column in the Daily News dated August 6, 1999:
Time to Throw Albany Rascals Out of Office
Here is an excerpt:
"In New York, we have Legislature so brazen and unresponsive to its constituents that 25 Assembly Democrats and four Senate Democrats, all from New York City, voted to eliminate the commuter tax, which will cost the city $380 million annually.
Each Assembly member, led by Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan), shamelessly and hypocritically claims the vote was in the best interest of the city and expects to be relected by the very people he or she betrayed."
|
|
|
Minus 3
A Majority of the
Assembly Wants To
Get Rid of Our State's
"Leader" System-
BUT
"Leader" Silver Will Not
Even Allow The Assembly
To Vote On The Bill
|
In New York State, just two "leaders" of the State Assembly and State Senate have complete control of the rules. The leaders control the fates of all of their fellow legislators. If other lawmakers want something for their constituents or a help on an issue or a committee chair, they must obey the leader.
Most states and the United States Congress don't have a "leader" system. They have a conference system.
This makes sense because the genius of democracy is that group decisions are better decisions.
Assemblywoman Sandra Galef and State Senator Richard Dollinger have introduced a conference bill. The vast majority of Assemblymembers have co-sponsored the bill, and "Leader" Sheldon Silver will not even allow a vote on the conference bill.
One man should not be the law.
For more information about this issue, click here for the article from the Albany Time Union dated June 7, 1999, entitled
Rank and File Push Legislative Reform
Search for "Rank and File Push Legislative Reform"
|
|
|
|
|
