Pledge for Change
It's Time to Make Albany Work for the People
State government in Albany is hobbled by gridlock, unable to conduct the people’s business.
Study after study, news reports and editorials decrying the situation form an ever-growing stack. Members of the public are cynical about the ability of state government to take action on important issues. Yet, the situation remains unchanged. One-house bills, introduced to impress constituents and the public – but not to actually become law – have been the norm for years. And, there is an alarming lack of public comment, debate or transparency when things do pass the Legislature or are acted on by the governor.
The public’s faith in state government is further eroded by controversies and corruption scandals involving both parties. Yet, there is no effective ethics oversight of the Legislature, which excluded itself from the jurisdiction of the Commission on Public Integrity. Instead the Legislative Ethics Commission is merely an extension of the legislators’ own team of lawyers and operates completely in secret. Moreover, the legitimacy of the Commission on Public Integrity itself has been challenged since the majority of its membership is appointed by the governor.
Additionally, under pressure to fundraise to win and keep their offices, politicians focus on donors rather than the people they are supposed to represent. Too many politicians appear to care more about what lobbyists and powerful interests think than they do about the critical problems faced by most New Yorkers.
Voters are tired of “politics as usual” and a state government so mired in those politics that it is unable to address the very real problems faced by New Yorkers. In 2010, New York voters are demanding real change that goes beyond empty slogans.
To ensure that New York State government is accountable to voters, we urge all legislators to sign this Pledge for Change, and agree to work for these changes in their party caucuses and legislative committees, as well as on the floor of their houses. Join us by demanding a governor and legislature that will be a force for change in Albany!
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