Recently state Senate majority leader Joe Bruno condemned Eliot Spitzer's birthday party fundraiser slated for June while making no mention of his own bash coming up next month. Of course that is just empty rhetoric trying to cast a negative light on the governor. The actions of the two elected officials shows the truth between the men and campaign finance reform.
From The Empire Zone:
Gov. Eliot Spitzer set out his agenda for the rest of the Legislative session, which runs through June 21, and campaign finance reform was at the top of the list. Slight problem: The Senate majority leader, Joseph L. Bruno, detailed his own agenda for the rest of the session this week and campaign finance reform was nowhere on his list.
(snip)
“The first question I asked Joe when he discussed this with me, ‘how’s it affect me? Is it retroactive, do we go back eight years?’” Mr. Bruno said, drawing chuckles from the press. “And I got the proper assurances.”
Mr. Bruno, 78, has been majority leader for more than a decade. As for campaign finance reform, he said, “if we can get three way agreement, we’re prepared to do a bill.”
The governor emphasized that his priority was lowering contribution limits–he has already lowered the limit on himself from roughly $50,000 per donor to $10,000. But there are a number of other issues he has raised, from public financing to closing loopholes, including one that allows donors to far exceed the limits by contributing through limited liability companies.
The truth shows that Governor Spitzer is serious about campaign finance reform, while Joe Bruno makes jokes about it. Too bad that the press laughed at his apathy towards cleaner government. When it comes to Joe bilking the system for his own benefit, it is no laughing matter. Joe is a tired, old and corrupt politician that is used to doing New York's business in smoky back rooms. Spitzer is trying to air things out and let the citizens of the Empire State get a better look at their legislature and so that they will be more accountable to those that elect them.
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