With all the craziness down here in midtown Manhattan today, a little bit of common sense made its way through at the State Capitol. I'll emphasize the 'little bit' part. The deal hardly accomplished anything, leaving campaign contribution limits high. The limits will fall to some degree and there will be more requirements mandating donors to open about who they are, but something tells me Albany will still be wide open for 'business' after everything is signed by Spitzer.
From The New York Times:
Senate Republicans had initially resisted any campaign finance measure. Many Republican legislators expect the governor and the Democratic Party to aggressively back challengers against them next fall and had argued against any plan that would make it difficult for them to raise money against a wealthy candidate.
But the plan unveiled today leaves intact the ability of the real estate developers — steadfast supporters of the Republican Party — to give vast sums to candidates through their limited liability companies.
“This is a very good beginning and moves us back into the ballpark of campaign finance reform,” said Barbara Bartoletti, legislative director of the League of Conservation Voters in New York State.
Russ Haven, legislative counsel for the New York Public Interest Research Group, said: “Considering where we’ve been stuck at for a generation, it’s a move in the right direction. But clearly there’s an unfinished agenda.”
An unfinished agenda indeed. I want to see clean elections brought into the fold. That would be serious reform for New York. The problem is that we still have too many corrupt politicians that want everything to stay the same while making it look like there is change. We need more progressive elected representatives so that New York can finally represent New Yorkers and not three men in a dark room making deals.
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