Editorial - Before NYS Evaluates Others It Needs To Clean Up Its Own House

“And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?  Luke 6:41 King James Bible

Things keep getting worse in Albany. It seems a tad ironic that State officials, salivating over teacher evaluations, have neglected to do a self-check on New York State Government’s  (hold your nose) esteemed public servants. Watch and listen to our politicians as they once again beat their chest, gnash their teeth and bemoan betrayal by their colleagues. Some electeds are offering angelic interpretations of the law citing “innocent till proven guilty” as a reason for not calling for the banishment or at least shunning of Skelos and Silver.

Elected officials who betray the public trust and cast their putrid aura over New York State Government are abusers. Their deplorable actions certainly don’t warrant their colleagues acting as cheerleaders, offering encouragement with statements saying “he has my full support” or signing a letter of support. If you so desire, commiserate in private with those arrested, charged or soon to be indicted. But remember your job is to be the voice of your constituents, who by-the-way are disgusted, angry, disillusioned and tired of the abuse suffered at the hands of our elected public servants.

Time and time again we hear that charges are not convictions. There are a number of scholars who believe the State Legislature has the authority to expel one of its own.* In fact Governor Pataki was said to be moving towards recommending to the Senate that it remove Comptroller Alan Hevesi before he plead guilty to a felony and was forced to leave office.  It is interesting to note that according to The New York Times  Mr. Skelos is taking a leave of absence from his lucrative legal career at Ruskin Moscou Faltischek. According to the article, Skelos’s name and bio were removed from the firm’s website. Apparently, Skelos’s private employers aren’t about to wait until he is proven guilty before severing their ties. The public is not so lucky, we are stuck with him until he decides to leave. 

Skelos has been arrested, has been the subject of a five year investigation by the Department of Justice, has had significant charges levied against him; but states, I will be exonerated and will not give up my position. He is not thinking about constituents. He needs to be shown the door and those who are propping him up need to be put on notice that they will not be welcomed back when they are up for office.

Does corruption run deep in Albany? Apparently it does. Is every elected official corrupt? Of course not. But Albany needs to clean up its act before it does anything else, especially evaluate the work of others.

Pat

*(Monserrate and the Question of Pink Slips for Elected Officials -Jerry H. Goldfeder in The New York Law Journal, January 20, 2010 - “The law also permits the Governor to “remove” a public official under certain circumstances,⁷ or recommend to the New York Senate that an official be removed.⁸ New Yorkers faced the latter situation two years ago when Governor George E. Pataki considered recommending to the Senate that it remove then-Comptroller Alan Hevesi for misdeeds involving the use of his state car. (That legal and political to-do was resolved when Mr. Hevesi pled guilty to a felony.”) 

Comments

[maureen rossi]

Extremely well done Pat! Brava.