Scary Thought For The Day: Albany Is Run By A Bunch Of Five Year Olds

It's chaos.

Sixty-two Senators (not all of them bad mind you) who collectively, supposedly, represent millions of New Yorkers in one house of a bicameral legislature are as a whole, failing us miserably. Yesterday Paterson called the first "special" session into the senate chamber and while they did pass a hundred bills, the legality of that is in doubt.

What's worse was the way it was all handled. First the Democrats ran into chamber at 12:30pm and locked themselves in, then the Republicans pounded on the door to start their own session at 2pm and the Democratic caucus joined in around 3pm. The place looked more like a kindergarten class than a primary institution of our state's government.

Quoting heavily (but deservedly) from The Times-Union:

And so it went, with the Democrats acting as if there were no one else in the chamber, until 3 p.m., when Stewart-Cousins gaveled in for Paterson's special session, kicking off 20 minutes of wildly dysfunctional governance.

Stewart-Cousins recognized Smith, who noted that the chamber had not yet received copies of the bills listed in Paterson's call for a special session. Winner and Skelos attempted to interrupt Smith whenever he rose to speak, and Stewart-Cousins did the same to Skelos.

Stewart-Cousins then ordered the Senate to stand at ease until 5 p.m., and the Democrats began to carry on conversations and exit the chamber.

The Republicans made a quorum call to determine if 32 members were present, and Winner called out the names of Democratic members who were in the Senate but not responding to the roll call ("Sen. Adams is present ... Sen. Aubertine is present in the chamber").

Although Winner declared that quorum was established, the absence of the governor's bills prevented the Republicans and Espada from moving forward with the legislation.

Stewart-Cousins banged her gavel. "Senate stands at ease," she said.

"Senate is in session," Winner declared.

As the scene unfolded, the Senate began to devolve into something resembling an unruly study hall. "You gonna punch somebody, Parker?" Sen. Andrew Lanza, R-Staten Island, said as Kevin Parker spoke to the Democratic side of the chamber. (Parker faces assault charges for an incident involving a New York Post reporter.)

"Don't you dare tell me I'm out of order -- you're out of order!," Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson, D-Bronx/Westchester, exclaimed after Winner attempted to gavel her down.

The GOP and Espada ultimately left the chamber, saying they would return once the bills had been received. But it was the Democrats who returned to the chamber first after the bills had been distributed.

Although there were at that point only 31 members in the chamber, the Democrats claimed that since all 62 Senate members had stood for the Pledge of Allegiance at the beginning of the 3 p.m. session, quorum had been established. In order for that quorum to be questioned, one of the Republicans or Espada would have had to enter the chamber to do so -- which would, of course, had given the Democrats the 32nd member needed for a quorum call.

After the Democrats had passed the legislation on the governor's list and left the chamber, Republicans returned to adjourn for the day.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is your state senate.

CEO And Senator John Sampson, Reporting For Duty

It is just a little past three in the afternoon on Monday, but already a lot has gone on this week in Albany. Monserrate came back to the Democrats early this morning and deadlocked the institution. Attorneys for both caucuses have been told by a judge to work it out or else face his decision by 1pm 10am Tuesday morning. Meanwhile, Monserrate says he's back because Majority Leader Smith is stepping back to let Senator Sampson step up, with a spiffy new title known to us as the "Conference leader," which in business-speak, according to Smith, means that Sampson will be the new CEO.

From PolitickerNY:

The members of the conference—still without defector Pedro Espada Jr.—announced State Senator John Sampson will have the new title of "conference leader," Majority Leader Malcolm Smith explained, and will handle the "day-to-day business" of the conference. Smith said the structure was similar to a board chairman and CEO, with Sampson serving as CEO. Smith, I'm hearing, is holding on by a legal technicality.

Monserrate was called a "friend" by both Sampson and Smith.

"I'm clear about the following: This conference is united," Monserrate said. He tacitly confirmed reports that his flip back into the Democratic conference had to do with differences with Espada Jr. over tenant-protection issues.

The leadership of the State Senate is still uncertain. Lawyers for both sides were due in court around the time this press conference started; the judge hearing the case has said he does not want to get involved. Spokesman Austin Shafran said Democratic lawyers plan to tell the judge that progress is being made out of court.

Having Monserrate back is an odd definition of progress. However in the New York State Senate, any direction is both backwards and upside down all in one motion. Hopefully Sampson and Smith can both "defriend" criminals once they are convicted of their crimes, or if they get primaried, whichever comes first. Sampson will now have to deal with the backstabbing Monserrate, and the rest of caucus amidst an incredibly turbulent and unpredictable time in our state's government.

Meanwhile, back in "reform coalition" land, Espada allegedly bussed in some supporters to shout down the reform advocates that had initially come up last Tuesday to lobby for good goverment issues such as independent redistricting and whatnot. Espada's people came with t-shirts that are just a bit outdated though, proclaiming that Monserrate is still on their side despite what went on today.

Ah, the dramatics of Albany...who needs soap operas when you can just tune in to state politics.

Smith Only Wants One Job For Legislators

Limiting outside jobs for Albany's top pols? Now that is something I can get behind Malcolm Smith on. The Majority Leader told reporters this yesterday at a press conference along with wanting those that do to disclose what they do and how much they make from it. It almost sounded too good to be true.

From PolitickerNY:

"I believe, at this point in time, the paradigm needs to shift on how state government manages its members," Smith said after speaking at a luncheon. "There are enough circumstances and cases where it's gotten us in trouble, and it'd be better for everybody if we make sure that there's enough clarity in what we do and how we do it so we can be more focused on the business of the state."

He said he favors "very liberal" disclosures. Currently, the Legislative Ethics Commission releases disclosure forms that show outside employment, but do not detail income received. State Senator Daniel Squadron is poised to introduce two bills, his aide John Raskin told me, which would mandate more disclosure for legislators and create an independent government watchdog.

Smith went on to say that he has closed down his real estate business and receives no outside income.

An independent government watchdog? Can my ears be deceiving me?

Well, that of course is merely talk at this point in time, but I'm glad to hear the Majority Leader is focusing on the business of the government and not the sour real estate market. Especially with this narrowly divided Senate, Smith has had his hands full trying to get his caucus to vote for legislation, sometimes succeeding and other times not.

Smith mentioned that there is a conflict of interest when it comes to outside jobs. Of course that is obvious to those that watch the state legislature, but I wonder if Shelly Silver heard Smith's sound advice.

M.T.A. Bill Gets Green Light From Legislative Leadership

Richard Ravitch is happy, Gene Russianoff is happy and the three men in the room are ecstatic over the fact they got something passed to help out the struggling M.T.A. Although Ravitch and Russianoff would have preferred something better, perhaps a little more comprehensive, they realize that in Albany, simply passing a bill, whether it does the job or not is a success. So with all this cheering, what can straphangers expect to find come June?

From The NY Times:

Under the deal, the base fare for a single bus or subway ride would rise to $2.25 from $2. The cost of a monthly MetroCard would probably rise to about $89 from $81, according to officials in the Legislature. Other fares and tolls, including tickets on the Long Island Rail Road and Metro-North Railroad, would go up about 10 percent.[...]

The legislative leaders also agreed to set a single rate for the payroll tax in all 12 counties served by the authority — a tax of 34 cents for every $100 of payroll. An earlier Senate version of the plan called for a lower rate in three outlying counties.

The payroll tax is expected to raise $1.53 billion a year.

The plan also includes a series of charges on vehicles and drivers in the 12- county region: a 50-cent surcharge on taxi rides, a $25 increase in vehicle registration fees, a 25 to 30 percent rise in drivers’ license fees and a 5 percent increase in a tax on car rentals. Those fees are expected to generate a total of $270 million a year.

So there you have it, the damage, so to speak is spread out amongst straphangers, drivers and employers, though more so on the employers. For a last minute maneuver, Silver, Smith and Paterson did a decent job. The only problem is that the M.T.A. is still going to consider another increase in a few months, so we'll see what the Legislature can do when the next deadline looms.

For now though, subway riders will have to pay a little more instead of a lot, drivers won't be tolled on East River bridges, taxi cab riders are only looking at a 50 cent surcharge instead of a dollar and service cuts will be avoided. For the next few months at least, doomsday has been averted.

Yet for some reason I can't get the thought out of my head that this was all some sort of psychological game played out before us. Drivers are still getting higher tolls where tolls exist and their fees are going up. Mass transit riders still have to pay more after an increase in the fare last year (those of us that buy weekly or monthly cards, which is for most New Yorkers), making the increase on a monthly between 2007 and now roughly 18%. Tolls have also risen at an astronomical rate. Then in 2011 and 2013 the fares will go up another 7.5% each time. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that these costs beat the rate of inflation, and at the same time we have a state government that passes bloated budgets every year.

Next year, instead of acting like pigs at a trough, perhaps our represenatives could get together and revamp the way the M.T.A. is funded, so that we do not have to face a crisis over fares whenever the economy sours. Relying on real estate and sales taxes is simply an unstable solution. When the Republicans were in charge, they probably realized this, but instead of remeding the situation, they tacked on more than a billion dollars in debt to the M.T.A. and magnified the problem. Instead of patting each other's backs over this quick fix, Smith, Silver and Paterson would do right by attacking the core of the problem and ensure that we continue to have the best mass transit system in the country for decades to come.

Senate Dems Finally Agree On Something For The M.T.A.

With less than four weeks before the M.T.A. introduces the doomsday fares and service cuts, the Senate Democrats have finally agreed on something, even if it doesn't address the systemic problems embedded within the transit authority. Last night Majority Leader Malcolm Smith was able to announce his "victory" within his caucus.

From The Daily Politics:

The tolls are still out. The 34-cent/$100 payroll tax, graduated so Dutchess, Putnam and Orange counties pay less (25 cents/$100), is in. The $1 taxi drop-off fee is back to 50 cents, with 25 percent of the revenue generated going to pay for debt service on MTA capital projects through 2011, but not for upstate and Long Island roads and bridges.

One sticking point: The Senate Democrats want school districts in the 12-county MTA service area to be "held harmless" from the payroll tax, and it's unclear whether that means relief would come on the front end (by not charging the districts at all) or the back (by reimbursing them after the fact).

They also want an assurance that districts will be held harlmess in perpetuity - regardless of how the state's economic circumstances change.

Protecting the schools sounds good, preventing a drastic fare hike at the end of the month is definitely good but looking ahead, this short-range plan is nothing but a cheap political fix. And of course the Majority Leader takes the first "hit" of victory by chiding his fellow Democrats for not going along with his plan back in March:

"Basically, I won't say all of you, but a number of people, basically indicated they thought that was the wrong thing to do," Smith said. "In recent stories I think there's been some discussion about some merit to that."

"...Obviously, if you had adopted my plan back in March, we wouldn't be here," the majority leader said later. We tried to tell everybody back then, but we all...were told we were wrong. Things have come full circle."

Nothing has come full circle Mr. Smith. All you have is this moment and if anything, is a pyrrhic victory for the M.T.A. This deal, and the deal back in March was done for the sake of political expediency, not for the long-term health of New York's mass transit system. This is still the wrong thing to do, but sadly, it seems this is the best you can do.

The Dysfunctional New York Senate

Jimmy Vielkind of the PolitickerNY penned an article on the highly dysfunctional State Senate today. The question he asks, whether or not the Senate can do the business of the New York is one that remains unanswered, even though some lobbyists are hopeful of potential movement once the Democratic majority gets some time under their belts. As for now though, nothing is happening and the narrow split in the chamber isn't helping anyone.

From PolitickerNY:

ALBANY—After yet another failure to hash out an agreement on how to bail out the M.T.A. this week, State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith declared that it was no longer about the merits, but purely about "what gets us there with the votes we need to get it passed."[...]

"From my perspective, it's extremely frustrating that everyone from the staff down to the speaker to the most recently elected senators can't speak for anyone but themselves, and don't," said one person who represents a major interest group with business before the senate. "Everyone involved should be educating these folks that they actually have a job to perform. It's not just about getting re-elected, it's about running the state."

Yet "getting re-elected" is all that anyone cares about, unless you are Dean Skelos, who can tack on "getting power back from the Democrats" to his primary goal of re-election. Skelos has no intention of helping Smith get legislation passed and the Majority Leader has no willingness to let Skelos be a part of the process. With a few renegade dems within the caucus such as Kruger, Diaz and Espada, Smith doesn't have a true majority and because of it, we all lose out. Whether it be straphangers in New York City or school funding upstate, New Yorkers are suffering from Senate inaction and general dysfunction. As Vielkind quotes Smith, saying that the Senators need to be big boys, men and ladies, it is yet to be seen in any regard.

Assembly Vs. Senate On M.T.A. Bailout

There is a little more than a month to go before the dreaded twenty-five percent (give or take a few percent depending on what fare you pay) hike in the cost of mass transit coupled with service cuts for the NYC subway system. Up in Albany though, politics and ego, not the deadline is what the leadership in the Assembly and Senate care most about. Sure, they want to get something done to appease their constituents, but "what" they want depends on which side you're on.

From The NY Daily News:

Negotiations over an MTA bailout deal blew up Friday amid bitter squabbling between Senate and Assembly leaders, sources said.

A conference call to discuss the rescue collapsed when Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver's staff learned the state Senate had already introduced its own bill and planned to vote on it next week, sources said. "Malcolm and Shelly are having a huge fight," said one source with ties to both Silver and Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith, a Queens Democrat. "The staffs are not speaking."

Multiple sources said Silver was upset Smith formally introduced his bill. "This is one-upping the Senate to show you're still in charge," said a source close to Smith.

It really is pathetic that there has to be so much squabbling over such a dire issue. Millions of people who can't afford another fare increase will be forced to deal with $103 a month for a Metrocard with less service for the price.

While much of the blame can be placed at the feet of the Pataki Administration and the Republican State Senate in the past for putting so much debt on the M.T.A., Smith should have been ready for this when he assumed power early this year. His district is directly affected by this matter, along with many other Democrats that represent the New York City metro area. How he can let Kruger, Espada, Diaz and Monserrate push him around on this is absolutely ridiculous. I hate to say it, but Shelly Silver has the best plan out of anyone on this, and if Smith cares about the city more than his ego, he'll try his best to make sure the closest thing to the Ravitch Plan is what passes when all is said and done.

Smith Stands Up To Paterson And Democracy On Same-Sex Marriage Vote

Majority Leader Malcolm Smith isn't against passing a bill legalizing same-sex marriage, but he wants it done his way, the "Albany" way. Paterson is trying to bring the bill to the Legislature even if it won't pass this time around. While the Governor may be doing it to redeem his popularity before the 2010 election, the importance of the issue is far greater than Paterson's motivations. Smith is also standing by his position based on politics, dedicated to sticking with the old, corruptive means even if the end is something good.

From The Daily Politics:

Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is sticking to his guns on gay marriage, insisting that he won't heed the governor's call to bring his program bill to the floor regardless of whether it has sufficient votes to pass.

"I'm very concerned about putting a bill on the floor that's going to be symbolism and not pass," the Queens Democrat said. "...I'm going to count until I know that I have 32 if not 34. I'm not going to move it on the floor if I don't have the numbers that I need."

Smith, who spoke briefly with reporters at the DRC meeting in Saratoga Springs last Friday night, also said that when it comes to marriage, he's "not going to get into horse trading" - a time-honored Albany tradition in which seemingly unrelated issues are linked in order to assure their passage by the Legislature.

"I'm not going to get into horse trading," Smith said. "This is the right issue. if you want to be on the right side of history then I think you should support this."

Smith is right that there is no need for horse trading. However, when it comes to being on the right side of history, if he truly believes that then it is only logical that he allow the Senate to vote on legalizing same-sex marriage. History is a record of what goes on in our society and our world, and there is no better place to show how our legislature behaves and responds to the people than the voting record.

Moreover, he should prove there is actual reform going on and allow someone besides himself bring the bill to the floor. Whether that be Tom Duane or anyone of the twenty-some senators in favor of the bill is irrelevant. The key is that we see more democracy in action in our state capitol and not pre-packaged votes that only happen when the Majority Leader has his ducks in a row.

Malcolm Smith Stands Up To Senate's Critics

Malcolm Smith took a moment this morning to praise the entirety of the Senate (Republicans included) for allowing Senator Ruth Hassell-Thompson to come back and vote despite her extremely unfortunate rushes to the hospital this week. Both parties agreed to hold off on voting and not play partisan politics over this very human moment. However, Malcolm Smith tried to make the situation into something it is not.

From The Daily Politics:

On the Senate floor this morning, Majority Leader Malcolm Smith and Minority Leader Dean Skelos put their partisanship aside for a moment of mutual admiration, praising one another for the deal struck to allow Sen. Ruth Hassell-Thompson to vote on budget deals.

"I want to express my appreciation to Sen. Skelos and to all my colleagues," Smith said. "This is a day that I think the 19 million people of New York have come to recognize this is a fine chamber, irrespective of all that the papers have written, the editorial boards have said."

"Today we have proven to all of New York that we are a distinguished body that we are also a body that has a heart and understands the challenges that face this state and we rise above that."

Now I'm not discounting the graciousness of Skelos and Smith in letting Hassell-Thompson vote. What I am criticizing is Smith's blatant attempt at using Hassell-Thompson's illness and the Senate Leadership's reaction as a way to hit back against all the negative press that Smith and the Senate rightly deserves.

The 19 million people of New York want to see that their Senators are working to address their needs and will take care of business that concerns the General will, not each Senator's particular will (I'm sure Rousseau would be amused by Smith's statement today).

The papers, editorials and blogs write what they do because there is plenty to criticize. Whether it be about budget inaction, ignoring the real problems that the M.T.A. faces or refusing to enact real reform in the "distinguished body" that shows Smith and his caucus is ready to change the way Albany does business. Instead, the budget process has been behind closed doors for the most part and hidden from the public. If Smith and his colleagues had 'heart' then nearly everything that has happened this year in our capitol would have gone down differently.

$2.50 Fare Is Just The Beginning

Much of the city is learning today that we will almost certainly be paying 25% or more for getting around on the subway by June. Service will also be cut, especially for bus lines and a few of the subway lines as well. Metro-North commuters are looking at a 30% hike as well. "Doomsday" is finally here. Oh and if this sounds bad, just wait until what happens next.

From StreetsBlog:

Without new financial help from Albany soon, the MTA says its current bad finances may mean another fare hike in 2010.

That would make it three years in a row for fare increases -- March 2008, June 2009 and early 2010 -- the worst record in the MTA's 40-plus year history.

It demonstrates a trend of shifting the costs of operating transit from some beneficiaries of the subways and buses -- such as motorists and businesses -- onto riders. For example, the riders' share of operating costs for the subways will go from 69% to an astonishing 84%, according to the MTA, if the just-approved fare increases are implemented.

Under the plan proposed by former MTA chairman Richard Ravitch, no new fare hike would occur before 2011.

That is Gene Russianoff talking, and trust me, when it comes to mass transit in New York, he knows his stuff. Of course, this is also common sense. If our leaders do not come up with a comprehensive plan to alleviate the debt load of the Authority, there is nowhere to go but down. Sadly, the new Democratic leadership has been behind in the message game and has let the Republican minority and few insurgents within the party own the debate:

Meanwhile, the excuses for inaction are pouring in. GOP State Senator Marty Golden, a Brooklyn rep who never broke ranks to support the Ravitch plan, sent around a press release blaming the state's top Democrats for "closing the doors completely to Republicans." Senate Minority Leader Dean Skelos excused his party's monolithic opposition to the transit rescue effort in much the same way, and added that the MTA was asking for a "blank check" by seeking to fund its five-year capital program. As Liz Benjamin notes, that's exactly what the Fare Hike Four and Senate Dems have been saying.

It's a patently false claim. Any plan is subject to oversight and approval by the Capital Program Review Board. The leaders of the State Senate and the Assembly each appoint one voting member to the CPRB, as do the mayor and the governor. Any of the four voting members can veto the whole thing. Said Russianoff: "If they appropriated the money, they would still have power over how it's spent."

Why on Earth Smith is letting the Republicans and DINOs (Monserrate, Diaz, Kruger, Espada, etc) get away with lying to the people is infuriating. It just reinforces the fact that he is weak and unwilling to present real leadership in this difficult time. If only someone could step up and take over the show....perhaps place the DINOs in line and start winning the argument (because the truth is on our side) against our state's own version of the Party of No.

As State Senate Stalls, M.T.A. Gets Ready To Increase The Fare

In less than a week, New Yorkers could be facing the hard reality of a $2.50 fare and a monthly Metrocard of over a hundred dollars. The doomsday budget scenario is getting too close for comfort and while blame can be assigned all around, the majority of it belongs to the State Senate.

For months now, we've known that this problem has been coming. The M.T.A., as ethically flawed as they are (or as we think), has been warning us of their budget deficit for some time. Governor Paterson, as imperfect as he is, managed to call up Richard Ravitch to come up with a sensible plan. Then Sheldon "shrouded in secrecy" Silver signed up for Ravitch's solution more or less, accepting the ideas of tolls on the bridges that connect his district to Brooklyn. These quid pro quo'ers were aware enough to realize the gravity of the situation, but the State Senate is woefully behind.

Two weeks before the proposed fare hike, Majority Leader Smith questioned the M.T.A.'s deadline and was rightly admonished for it. This week, with a week to go, he came up with a half-assed plan that made absolutely no sense and angered everyone else in this state that is trying to come up with a feasible solution. The only people he has appeased are stooges like these guys. If Smith would stand up straight and act in accordance with his official title, he'd get those "Democrats" in his caucus to behave and go along with at least something that resembles the Ravitch Commission's proposal.

As for the complaints about the tolls, drivers that live in Monserrate, Kruger, Diaz and Espada's districts will be worse off when a reduced mass transit system adds more cars to roads and highways that are already clogged. These egotisitical senators must realize that our transit problem does not only happen to their particular district, it is a city-wide problem that has to be addressed as such. If they aren't willing to comprehend that, then Smith has the moral responsibility to ensure that all members in his caucus either get with it, or get booted altogether.

Lobbyist Industry Still Booming In Albany

Times are tough now for many New Yorkers, but not for the lobbyists that work in and around the state capitol. Despite this recession-depression, the money keeps coming in for our politicians' campaign coffers. That goes double (to say the least) for those who hold the power.

From The Times-Union:

A New York Public Interest Research Groups study shows ticket prices paid to attend political fundraisers by those seeking to influence lawmakers so far hasn't taken a hit in the recession.

At the top of the list released Tuesday is new Senate Majority Malcolm Smith. The Queens Democrat charged up to $25,000 a ticket for a Jan. 26 fundraiser at a trendy downtown Albany restaurant.

At the bottom are minority party lawmakers like Assembly Republican leader and congressional candidate James Tedisco. He charged just $50 a ticket for a fundraiser Saturday at the same restaurant. "At least something is working in Albany," said Blair Horner, NYPIRG's legislative director. "These are fundraising sessions, not legislative sessions."

Whatever you want to call these parties, it is prime-time for lobbyists looking to do their clients' bidding with those that hold power in Albany. When someone is paying $25,000 for a ticket for access to Malcolm Smith, there has to be a nice return for the people that he listens to. Perhaps that's why it is so hard to get the support for the Fair Share Plan as well as real reform in the capitol.

What we need is to put an end to these fundraisers that only afford access to the wealthy few. Instead of $25,000, we need a more equalizing dollar amount, like $5 or $10. If Arizona, Maine and a few other states can have clean elections, then so should New York.

State Senate Compromises The MTA

Politics is all about compromises right? Well, "politics" is certainly underway in the State Senate, as Malcolm Smith's fractured caucus (with zero help from the other side of the aisle) has decided to go ahead with a Ravitch-lite plan that helps some of the MTA's ailments but certainly not all. If the Senate gets its' way, this bill would do nothing but put a band-aid on a gunshot wound.

From The NY Times:

The Senate proposal, which was presented privately to Democratic Senators on Monday afternoon, includes a 4 percent fare increase, half of what Mr. Ravitch had proposed. It would also impose a tax of 25 cents on every $100 of payroll on employers within the 12 counties served by the authority. That is significantly less than the 34 cents that Mr. Ravitch had proposed.

“The immediate impact would be, all service cuts are restored, fare increases would be cut in half, and there would be no tolls,” said one of the two people briefed on the plan.

Democratic staff members reviewed some of the authority’s finances in recent days and concluded that a scaled-back plan would suffice in the short term. But the Senate proposal would require the transportation authority to submit to a deeper forensic auditing, a step lawmakers from both parties have demanded as a condition of laying out more taxpayer money for the authority, long dogged by waste and corruption.

Well I certainly applaud the desire for transparency, though the demand comes from an institution that is deeply flawed in that department as well. If the Senate really wanted transparency out of the MTA, they should work hand in hand with the Authority so that they get the facts and figures they need. If the Senate wants transparency, then demand it here and now. Otherwise, this sounds more like a lame excuse more than anything.

What this short-term plan will do, according to MTA head Elliot Sander, is increase the debt load of the Authority and lead to more future problems. Also, as Mr. Ravitch says:

Mr. Ravitch has insisted that any short-term or stopgap solution would only exacerbate the authority’s fiscal woes and create a bigger budget hole next year. In an interview last week, Mr. Ravitch said that the defeat of his plan would be “disastrous to the economy and the people of the M.T.A. region.” Mr. Ravitch declined to comment Monday night on the Senate’s counterproposal, saying he did not know the details.

This is no time for stopgaps, if anything, we need government to help secure our mass transit future now instead of making the problem worse. If only Smith and the several other Dems had the courage to be leaders and do the best for all New Yorkers that use the MTA instead of what they think will get them re-elected in their districts next year. Then again, that would be expecting too much of Smith, Kruger and the rest of the stalwarts up in Albany.

Smith Decides To Get On The Ball For An MTA Bailout

Speaking of train service and mass transit, the fate of MTA's service and price of the fare hangs in the balance. The deadline according to the MTA officials is coming up a week from Wednesday and the State Senate has been dragging its' collective feet on bailing out the struggling transit authority. Last week Majority Leader Smith called the deadline "questionable" and accused them of holding us all hostage. Meanwhile everyone else was quite serious about implementing a bill similar to the Ravitch Commission's proposal and ensuring that the doomsday scenario does not occur. Smith looked foolish in the face of the seriousness of the matter, and now he's finally beginning to realize that.

From PolitickerNY:

ALBANY—After two weeks of public hemming and hawing on the issue of the M.T.A. bailout, Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith says he will present a plan to members this afternoon to plug the M.T.A.'s deficit.

Sources involved in formulating plan with Senate leadership said that central staffers worked on the plan all weekend, and are trying to keep it as much under wraps as possible so as not to be co-opted by Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. Silver's position is on the table.

"All I'm going to say is that it's good and I think will work for everyone," one of the sources said.

The rest of the article gives a timeline of the MTA bailout battle and is great for anyone that hasn't been following a possible fare hike and simultaneous service cuts for our mass transit system.

As for Smith, he's doing the right thing by realizing that the deadline is a hard date that needs to be adhered to so that straphangers do not have to pay extra and lose service. Hemming and hawwing will not get you anywhere with voters when they start to suffer the effects of political inaction. And for the other Senators that tried to block a bailout bill for the MTA, shame on them as well. Grandstanding does nothing for New York and only a small boost for the politician's already over-inflated ego.

NY Senate Considers Some Form Of Fair Share Tax Reform

Could it be that a massive union demonstration around City Hall two weeks ago paid off? The protesters were looking for the state government to have the wealthy to pay their fair share of NY's massive budget deficit. Majority Leader Smith on the other hand, wanted to focus on spending cuts alone. Yet now after considerable pressure, he looks like he's ready to budge at least somewhat.

From The NY Times:

ALBANY — Democratic leaders in the State Senate will seek income tax increases on at least some affluent New Yorkers and a sales tax increase of a quarter of 1 percent to help balance the state budget, a Senate official with knowledge of the plans said in an interview over the weekend.

Now that's good news, but how serious are they about it?

“The Senate is signaling that it needs to balance the budget in a balanced way, meaning smart cuts and fair taxes,” Mr. Cantor said.

The Senate official also said that the Democratic majority, led by Malcolm A. Smith, would resist some other key parts of Mr. Paterson’s executive budget, including a proposal to raise the state tax on income earned by hospitals, known as the gross receipts tax, and a plan to merge the New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation into the Empire State Development Corporation, the state’s main economic development agency.

The Senate’s forthcoming proposal will serve as a framework for negotiations among Mr. Paterson, Mr. Silver and Mr. Smith.

And that is the key, the framework that is set when Paterson, Smith and Silver come to the table...in that room. If Smith and Silver are already willing and able to raise taxes on the wealthy, it'll be extremely difficult for Paterson, as unpopular as he is already, to resist the groundswell for this effort.

The Three Men Return To Their Room

Just when I had a chance to praise for Paterson for standing with his party, I have to criticize him yet again. This time it is to call him out for forgetting about his past appeals for reform. Paterson was all about cleaning up Albany's corrupt, bad-government ways when he was a Senator, but now he is just another part of the problem.

From The Poughkeepsie Journal:

ALBANY — Legislative leaders and Gov. David Paterson said today they have agreed to try to bypass required public conference committees on the state budget in favor of hashing out a budget deal among themselves, leading government watchdogs to complain that the public is being shut out of a process involving billions of taxpayers’ dollars. “I think the important thing for us in this time of crisis is to give certainty to New Yorkers,” said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, D-Manhattan, in defending the decision. “So at this point, we and the governor have agreed that we want to look at the end result and avoid the bickering that takes place with one-house budgets if we can.”

Not holding the committees not only violate a 2007 law meant to open up the process, it also is “incredibly insensitive” to make the decision on the eve of “Sunshine Week,” said Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group.

“Is this the way the Democrats want to celebrate Sunshine Week? With secret meetings? That’s a bad idea,” Horner said. Sunshine Week, which starts Sunday, is an effort by newspapers around the country to promote open government. It started in 2002.

Not much has changed since 2002 and no one who is in a position to immediately effect change wants to do it. I never had faith in Silver, but there was just a bit for Paterson and Smith. Now there is none. Effecting change is still a battle for the people to fight and one that must be taken against people like Paterson, Smith and Silver. At some point, those in power are going to have to learn that when it comes to the health of our democracy, transparency trumps expediency, or else the government will continue to distance itself from meeting the needs of all the people, not just those that have the most lobbyists in Albany.

Shelly Continues To Make Malcolm Look Foolish Over MTA Bailout

Being Malcolm Smith must be tough these days. The man was thrust (willingly I might add) into a position of leadership that he wasn't quite ready to handle. His abilities were already in question before the Dems took power. Then his credibility was further damaged when he gave into the Gang of Three, then stood up to them, then sat back down. Now the budget battle and the connected M.T.A. bailout saga is consuming him and in comparison to Shelly Silver's tight ship in the Assembly, he looks like an amateur.

From PolitickerNY:

ALBANY—Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith is calling the March 25 deadline for the M.T.A. bailout "questionable" and saying that while his members are "working on it every day" there is no consensus on a package to address the authority's deficit.

A few reporters caught Smith on the way to an event on reforming Rockefeller drug laws. He didn't say why he is questioning March 25, but spokesman Austin Shafran said the deadline is "artificial because it came from the M.T.A. board."

Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, however, after speaking at the same event, said "I'm not going to engage in a game of chicken."

Silver said March 25 is a "hard and fast deadline." He then pointed out that he has put forth the "only proposal on the table."

That is quite a rebuke of the State Senate Majority Leader's talking points. Of course, Silver has had this job forever and with a much more solid majority, so that makes things easier. Still, Smith has not done himself any favors in the last few months when it comes to a test of wills and principles. If he would have held firm with the Gang of Three Three Amigos at the end of last year, perhaps Smith wouldn't have to beg the five Democratic Senators who are causing him trouble to stay in his corner for this. Instead, he has to make excuses such as belittling the deadline...excuses that no one is really buying.

Term Limits To Be Addressed By The State Senate Tomorrow

When the City Council passed the term limits extension bill last year there were immediate cries to have it struck down from up above. So far the legal challenge has been stymied but the legislative challenge has not. In the State Assembly the process is moving slowly but surely and in the Senate the bill is going to be addressed by the Elections Committee tomorrow. Jimmy Vielkind has his reservations about it though:

ALBANY—A bill requiring a referendum on term limits will be heard in a Senate committee tomorrow, but won't necessarily get any farther.

Austin Shafran, a spokesman for State Senator Malcolm Smith, said it will be heard during a meeting of the Elections Committee, and then placed on the calendar. From there, it could sit for months.

State Senator Kevin Parker, the bill's sponsor, said in a Capitol hallway that he is confident it will clear committee and he will hold public hearings on the legislation.

"One game at a time," he said.

Of course legislative recourse is unlikely and I am extremely hesitant to say that the bill will pass. Most likely Bloomberg will have to be kicked out of power at the ballot box in November. However, if there is enough pressure put on Senators by their constituents, the speed of the bill can quicken. Smith may not have taken a position on the bill yet but considering the Majority Leader's power or lack thereof these days, it might not take much to knock him over onto the side that wants the power given back to the people of NYC.

Smith Seeks To Reconcile Senate Dems Over Increased Taxes

Majority Leader Malcolm Smith may not like the idea so much about raising taxes on the rich, but there are simply too many members of his caucus that want to see it done. Due to that pressure from within, Smith will at the very least let Senate Democrats talk amongst themselves.

From WXXI Rochester:

There are two bills circulating among Senate Majority Democrats that would increase income taxes on the wealthy. One, sponsored by Senator Eric Schneiderman, of Manhattan, with 18 sponsors, would institute new, higher tax rates beginning on those who make $250,000 a year. Two other, higher brackets would be created for those making over $500,000 a year, and over $1 million dollars a year.

Another bill, proposed by Senator Jeff Klein of the Bronx, would also raise taxes on the wealthy by creating new, higher tax brackets. In addition, it would double the standard deduction for taxpayers, and give the money back in the form of debit card rebates to taxpayers, to increase consumer spending.

Senate Leader Smith says Democrats plan to meet in a lengthy closed door meeting Wednesday evening to talk about the tax bills.

Lamentably, the meeting will be held in private without the public being able to see their government in action. Though it is better than nothing. Ideally they will come to a conclusion that mirror the Fair Share Plan. At this time, New York needs a budget that truly makes 'shared sacrifice' a reality. Empty rhetoric from Governor Paterson and Majority Leader Smith is simply not enough. If Sheldon Silver can get behind this, then Paterson and Smith need to stand up and do the same.

WFP Connects Majority Leader Smith Back To His Constituents

Plenty of State Senators want to see a drastic change in the state's budget being considered for the coming fiscal year. Several forms of a millionaire's tax have been introduced in both chambers, but the Governor and Majority Leader Malcolm Smith have not warmed enough to the idea to moderate spending cuts with an additional tax on the wealthiest New Yorkers. So to bring a little fire to Malcolm, the Working Families Party is talking to the people that elect Smith into office every two years. WFPers are going door to door in Smith's area of Queens to deliver a message.

From Newsday:

“Governor Paterson, I’m willing to make sacrifices, but there’s no way I’m putting my little girl’s future at risk,” the flier reads. “There’s a better way. Tell Majority Leader Smith (to) Stop the Governor’s Budget Cuts.”

The flier has the logo of the Working Families Party and a tear-off, postage-paid postcard that can be mailed to the Healthcare Education Project, a venture of the 1199/SIEU union reprinting many health care workers and the Greater New York Hospital Association.

The postcard has a plug for the Fair Share Tax Reform, which the WFP and its allies say “would roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest New Yorkers... those making more than $250,000 would pay their fair share so we can balance the budget without devastating cuts... Over the last 30 years, New York has reduced income tax rates for the wealthiest New Yorkers by 50% and eliminated high income tax brackets, resulting in $8 billion of lost revenue each year.”

And it all comes back to the Governor's message of "shared sacrifice," only it really reflects the sentiment. WFP is absolutely right to mention how income taxes have been continually cut, reducing revenue to make government work for the majority of our state that makes far below $250,000 (or even if the bill starts out with people making $500,000, that still makes a big difference). Conservatives love to cry about run-away spending, but when you cut revenues, it helps them make the argument to say we can't afford those programs because they leave out all the facts.