MEYER'S MUSINGS:Summarizing government ethics laws using one word — pathetic
By DANIEL MEYER
WIN COLUMNIST
It is something that government reform advocates have been screaming about for years.
New York State’s ethics laws are a joke, with the recent federal indictment of former Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno the latest example of how weak the Empire State’s so-called guidelines for what is right and what is wrong are when it comes to questionable behavior and potential conflicts of interest related to our elected officials.
But you don’t need to hear it from me. Instead, let me supply you with some strong statements from representatives of some of New York’s good government groups.
Using Bruno’s legal situation as an indictment of our feeble, flimsy and flawed government ethics laws, let us first hear from Susan Lerner, the executive director for the group known as “Common Cause,” the citizen lobbying organization that promotes and supports the need for open government and attempts to hold people in power accountable for their actions.
“This is an indictment of not only Joe Bruno, but New York State’s ethics laws,” Lerner said in a recent statement posted on the watchdog organization’s Web site. “The man who held the highest position of power in the state legislature for years is formally accused of betraying the public interest on behalf of his self-interest.”
But wait, there’s more.
“Joe Bruno’s indictment emphatically highlights the shameful state of New York’s ethics laws, graphically demonstrating why the Legislature should not be expected to police the ethics of its own members,” continued Lerner. “Even more disquieting is the fact that, in practice, for years, the only meaningful ethics and corruption oversight in New York State is by federal agents and United States attorneys. This is a sad day for Joe Bruno, and sadder still for the New York Legislature.”
Not to be outdone, here’s a recent quote from Blair Horner, the legislative director for the New York Public Interest Group.
“It’s been mind-blowing, the number of scandals, imprisonments and controversies that have engulfed the capital,” said Horner.
So why don’t more taxpayers get upset and loudly and proudly trumpet a “throw all the bums out” mentality whenever there is an election?
“My most depressing analysis is that they just give up,” said Horner. “They just assume it’s a place where good work doesn’t get done and they shouldn’t pay attention. The result is the democracy death spiral, where the public tunes out and lawmakers give more responsibilities to special interest groups, which makes Albany less responsive to the public, and then the public tunes out even more.”
And just like with Lerner, Horner has more to say about the matter, especially since these federal indictments seem to be occurring almost as often as the snowplow jockey has been showing up at my house this winter to clear the driveway.
“There is no watchdog,” said Horner. “You’ve had an astonishingly long list of lawmakers getting into trouble. We haven’t reached the tipping point yet.”
So this all begs for a very obvious question to be asked — is there any reason to believe that in the future things could change? Can we somehow see someone out there championing a true call for reform by changing our government ethics laws?
I’m extremely skeptical. And so are many elected officials from throughout the state.
Case in point is this recent statement from Assemblyman Michael Gianaris, a Democrat from Queens who has stated in the past he has aspirations of one day becoming attorney general.
“If someone wants to break the law, they’re not going to disclose they’re breaking the law,” Gianaris said. “The disclosure laws need improvement in New York. But that won’t solve the problem, because people who want to do bad things will find a way to do bad things.”
Gee, that sure is reassuring.
Unfortunately, the man is speaking the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
So to summarize, how do I accurately capture the essence of New York State’s government ethics laws in a single word?
Pathetic.
(Daniel Meyer is a columnist for the Weekly Independent Newspapers of Western New York. Comments can be sent care of The Sun or via e-mail to: meyersmusings@gmail.com.
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