It has been a number whirlwind weeks of governing woes.

A number of us have been hammering away at the New York State Senate.

I would like to cling to the significant reform rules passed by the New York State Senate last week, but as Henry Stern points out below: “The new rules are riddled with exceptions, may or may not be applied in a particular instance, and can be changed at any time that the leadership feels they are in the way.”

So yes, we have seen the beginning of the reform movement but at this point it could be just another cosmetic stunt of Albany slight of hand.

The great reformers – Hiram Monserrate and Pedro Espada – were each paid off for returning to the Democratic fold. Hiram got his Committee Chairmanship and $12,500 stipend back and Pedro – the most ethically challenged member of the State Senate – was given $2 million in member items as his reward.

Reform?

Sorry, apparently in Albany, REFORM is just a six-letter word.

Now the City Council
And now, the disrepute of the Albany electeds is replicated in the City as Councilmember Miguel Martinez pleads guilty to pocketing some $100,000 in member items money.

Now this could be the start of something big – hum a few bars.

The New York Post points out: “Authorities are poring over the spending of about a dozen city and state legislators to see if they followed the same shady path of former City Councilman Miguel Martinez, who has admitted stealing from taxpayers, sources said yesterday.”

“One veteran government staffer said some people are already steering clear of the suspect legislators, fearing that anything they say could wind up in the hands of swarming prosecutors.”

Remember the beginning of the Council slush fund scandals?

The Speaker and her staff had been putting phony organization names in the City budget to squirrel away big bucks for her to dole out to be used to reward the members of her choice (and herself) to give away to their community favorites.

Sadly, to this date that crime – placing false information in the city budget – has gone unpunished. Apparently, the fact that Quinn was not pocketing any of the money got the authorities to look the other way.

As long as law enforcement does not act when public officials step over the line, they apparently will keep on crossing the line until law enforcement says, “enough.”

Councilman Martinez, is the beginning of the City Council’s “enough.”

And not soon enough for me.

BACK TO ALBANY
So the Senators – the Dems now in control — in addition to approving some $85 million in member items — $2 mil to Pedro, $77 mil to Dems – as part of their quick acts upon regaining control took care of some of their people in the early days of the coup. Eleven of the Senate’s highest-paid staffers received raises of up to $32,000 – a total of $200,000 annually — when it appeared likely Democrats would lose control.

Since then, dozens of staffers on both sides of the aisle have been given raises from $10,000 to $32,000 per year. The staffs of Senate Prez Pro Temp Malcolm Smith and Dem Conference Chair John Sampson seemed to have received the biggest payoffs for the five weeks of do-nothing Albany.

The day after the coup, two Senate Dem staffers received raises backdated to Jan 1 of some $32,000 bringing their salaries to $140,000.

The money has been flowing for member items and raises to favorites while the press releases herald the new reform rules.

REAL INJUSTICE
While the Senate, like the Assembly before them, divides up the spoils of the people’s treasury for their own benefit, they continue to withhold raises for the New York State Judiciary.

For the past decade, the NYS Legislature has believed that they can hold our judges salary’s hostage so that they may receive raises themselves.

At a July Fourth party, I chatted with a NYS Supreme Court Justice in the Tenth Judicial District. Now I know a number of Queens – Eleventh Judicial District – Justices, but enjoyed the perspective of my new friend.

His District includes all of Nassau and Suffolk County. Wow – an election nightmare, I thought as I started to probe what he needs to get re-elected for another 14-year term.

“I don’t think I’m going to run again;” he explained that he needed to make money. State judges have not received a raise – not even a cost-of-living increase — since 1997. And here was one judge who was preparing to leave the bench because the State Legislature cares more about games playing over their own salary increase than building and attracting a quality judiciary.

But there is a difference between the job of a judge and a state legislator.

Legislator is a part-time job; judge is full-time.

Legislators can hold other jobs and earn big bucks as many do; judges can’t.

Legislators benefit from hidden increases like stipends and per diem expense increases that they pass; judges sit with the same salary they had 11 years ago.

Remember, the legislature approved millions in members items and not one cent for judicial salaries.

I guess the little league team in Brian McLaughlin’s District is more important than a quality judiciary.

MSchenkler@QueensTribune.com

Michael Schenkler can be reached via this contact form.