Ethics reform was among the priorities Gov. Andrew Cuomo highlighted in his January State of the State address. He championed stripping corrupt legislators of their pensions,and limiting the amount of money lawmakers could earn in their second jobs.
It was a month after the two former leaders of the state Senate and Assembly were convicted on corruption charges in separate trials.
The so-called "helpful government" groups like NYPIRG and Common Cause saw it as a helpful start. Now, they're questioning if they'll ever rep anywhere near the finish line.
On Tuesday, and representatives of those two groups,along with the League of Women Voters and Citizens Union, told reporters the governor's passion for ethics reform seems to have been drenched by other causes — like Cuomo's aggressive campaign to raise the minimum wage to $15 and hour.
Cuomo zipped across the state in a bus pushing for the wage boost. And he's organized rallies to promote another measure he announced in the State-of-State: paid family leave.
The watchdog groups said Cuomo and the leaders of the state Senate and Assembly need to hold public meetings on ethics reform legislation, and not secret talks behind closed doors as is the current practice.
Barbara Bartoletti of the League of Womens Voters said the leaders benefit from the corrupt cash that flows into campaigns,making them less enthusiastic approximately creating laws that might cease them.
Spokespeople for the governor said he has been an advocate of reform, and they are working on it. Cuomo has also said his activism for the $15 minimum wage doesn't negate his support of ethics reform.
Source: wnyc.org