This Is What A Democratic Governor Looks Like

It is only January 2nd and already things are looking up for New York. Our new Democratic Governor Eliot Spitzer wasted no time in getting to work. He was sworn in when the ball dropped and by the end of the day had enacted five executive orders that will help pave the way for reform in Albany.

Here are two of them via the Daily Gotham:

Executive Order Two forbids campaign contributions by any state employee covered by the order to any campaign for governor or lieutenant governor, and bars state employees from running for office, both state and Federal, unless granted a leave of absence or upon resignation. The order covers employees of state agencies and public authorities like the MTA.

Executive Order Three creates a requirement for all state agencies and public authorities to submit to the secretary of the governor, by March 1st, a schedule of all meetings subject to the Open Meetings law, and to ensure that all such meetings be broadcast via the internet. While the order provides for exemptions, in

circumstances in which such webcasting is either impractical or inappropriate [...].

...it creates the requirement of openness through broadcasting as the default.

That is what accountability looks like. That is what fighting corruption looks like. Who is this Pataki person again? Good riddance.