....October 21, 10:57 AM
 
 
   
Election Day Is Comin’

By MICHAEL SCHENKLER

You write a political column long enough, some people actually want your recommendations of what to consider when they vote. With Election Day around the corner, I thought I’d offer my advice.

Please disagree with me – that’s a large part of the meaning of our wonderful Democratic system. You can reach me by email at the address at the bottom of the column.

Better yet, make sure to express your opinion in the voting booth. With this wonderful country affording us the opportunity to participate in the system, too many Americans stay home. Certainly, four years ago, those who stayed home in Florida could have changed the course of the world. Even though outcomes might not change in New York, participatory democracy really demands your participation.

Make it a habit: VOTE!

This column is a lot less of whom to vote for, than of a thought process to help those who want help in making up their mind prior to pulling those little levers on the big gray machine.

President (and Veep): You’ve seen what has happened on the Bush administration’s watch. You’ve seen what he has accomplished with his foreign policy, war in Iraq and the economy at home. If you are pleased, give him four more years.

If you believe, on the other hand, that he has failed miserably in positioning the United States in the global community, in effectively prosecuting the war in Iraq and on terrorism, and that the economy has not moved in a positive direction as a results of his tax cuts and other policies, then he has had his chance.

His opponent offers a viable alternative. However, this vote is really a referendum on the performance of the Bush team over the past four years.

To me and a majority of New Yorkers, the answer is clear: we’ve seen what has happened on the Bush administration’s watch; it’s time for a change!

U.S. Senate: There is no choice here. Chuck Schumer has been a whirlwind of energy and intelligence coupled with focus and drive. He has gotten out front on this campaign so far and so quickly that the Republican Party folded their tent. His opponent is not in the race.

This is a referendum on the incredible performance of Chuck Schumer’s first six-year term. New Yorkers of all parties will and should overwhelmingly give him another one.

U. S. Congress: The six- member Queens Congressional Delegation is composed of all Democrats, as it has been for roughly the past quarter of a century. The Republicans have scrapped up challengers in five of the six districts; however, none have any real chance.

The Queens delegation has performed admirably as minority members in a mean-spirited U.S. Capitol. At times, individual members even shined.

The Queens members of the House are a group of concerned and experienced New York legislators who deserve to and will be returned to represent the people of Queens. Sadly, it does not look as though they can muster enough nationwide punch to gain control of the House of Representative, which consents to the continued shortchanging of New York City.

Sure, vote for your incumbent Congress member; but also call a friend or relative living in a swing district outside the City and tell them to look at what the party in power has done.

N.Y. State Senate and Assembly: Unless your State Legislator has yelled and screamed that the system in Albany is failing, don’t vote for them.

Nevertheless, all incumbents will win big. However, narrowing the margin even slightly will send a clear message that the people demand change to the dysfunctional State legislature.

But sadly, in the Senate only one of the Queens’ seven State Senators have challengers from the other party. It sure looks like the Democratic and the Republican Parties are in bed together, giving free rides to each other. In the Assembly, six of the 18—only one third—have opponents.

In spite of the abysmal performance of the dysfunctional State Legislature, 18 of 25 of the Queens legislators have no opposition. For the others, the challenge is barely existent.

Even though the incumbents will all be sent back to Albany, you can make a statement.

Check the campaign positions and literature, and if your State Legislators have not clearly stated that serious change is essential—that budget’s must be on time; that the process must be opened up; that bills must be debated on the floor; that members must be present on the floor to vote; that leadership should be elected by secret ballot; that the people, not party or leadership, should be considered when voting—then withhold your vote from the incumbent.

Vote for the opponent if there is one, or skip that office. Do not pull the lever because it is there. Enough “no votes” for a State Legislator, or a vote for their opponent, will send a message that the people want change.

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.

 
 
Albany Reform:The Time Is Now!

State Senator Toby Ann Stavisky
By TOBY ANN STAVISKY, New York State Senator

When I was teaching social studies to high school students, one of the many topics dealt with the legislative process. As a visual aid, I’ve distributed a brochure entitled “How a bill becomes a law,” explaining the process in the simplest, most direct terms.

At the risk of disillusioning people, that’s not really how it works.

The highly respected Brennan Center at NYU Law School recently called the New York State Legislature the worst in the nation, using the word “dysfunctional” to describe it.

They identified five problem areas and offered multiple solutions to each problem, which could be enacted by each house to remedy the problems cited in the report.

The first area deals with the committee system. The Senate has 32 standing committees, and I serve on eight of them.

During the legislative session, Tuesday is committee day in Albany, but it is also the day constituents come to Albany to meet with their elected officials. As schedules clash, it is not surprising that lawmakers have to decide which committee meeting to attend or whether to meet with constituents, a juggling act when commitees meet in the Legislative Office Building, and the constituents are waiting in their office. As a remedy, we should reduce the number of committees, give the chair the freedom to hire—and fire—professional staff and hold hearings. This also would effectively reduce the power of the speaker and majority leader and increase that of rank-and-file members.

A second problem area is the inability of the full house to consider bills that a majority of the members may support. Several years ago, the Senate changed its rules to prevent motions to discharge a bill from committee, making it more difficult for legislation to receive a fair hearing. In addition, the Senate rules permit the majority leader to “star” a bill, in essence creating a veto power.

Since 1997, the Senate has voted on nearly 10,000 bills, of which none were defeated or even amended. The same is true of the Assembly.

Legislators can enter the chamber at 9 a.m., have their attendance noted, leave at 9:01 a.m., and be recorded as voting “yes” for the entire day. Another issue is the consistently ignored constitutional requirement that a bill be on the legislator’s desk for three days so that it can be read and studied. When the Governor issues a “message of necessity,” the bill, still warm from the printer, will pass without detailed study or input from the public.

Much has been said about the need for conference committees, and it should be obvious that their use could resolve differences between the two houses.

Remedies to these problems could be found by each house changing its rules. All that is needed is the will and desire to do so. The long-term solution to this legislative morass is a constitutional convention. The first agenda item should be the establishment of a non-partisan redistricting commission so that Senate and Assembly districts reflect one person-one vote as well as community boundaries. This would ensure competitive elections.

Such a convention should also restructure the State budget process. Changes in the budget-making process are even more difficult. Both houses changed the start of the fiscal year from April 1 to May 1 and provided for a contingency budget based upon previous allocations. The Governor has not yet signed the measure. It must pass again next year and be ratified by the voters in a referendum.

For the past 20 years we have not passed the budget on time. To keep the state operating, we pass what are called “extenders,” or emergency appropriations. I have voted against them because I believe we should stay in Albany and negotiate until an agreement is reached.

A convention should also reduce the power of the public authorities, especially their ability to borrow money.

Their debt is getting out of control, and authorities such as the MTA lack accountability.

The Senate is controlled by the Republicans and the Assembly by the Democrats. Because the margins are so large, there is no need to compromise. This leads to a stiffening of positions on each side and the polarization of political parties because each side has to satisfy it extreme constituencies.

Hopefully, the Brennan report will be a wakeup call, leading to changes that will remove “dysfunctional” as the only appropriate adjective for our legislature.

Not4Publication.com by Dom Nunziato
Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.