ALBANY – New Yorkers are almost unanimous when it comes to the need for ethics reform in the state capital.
With just a few weeks left of the 2016 legislative session, a new Siena Poll released Tuesday shows that an overwhelming 91 percent of voters in the state say that passing anti-corruption legislation is important – 81 percent of whom say it’s very important – yet, 67 percent are somewhat or very pessimistic it will get done before the session ends.
The poll additionally shows that 40 percent believe that corruption is a serious problem in the legislature, and 31 percent say it’s more serious in the executive branch controlled by Governor Andrew Cuomo.
In a letter recently issued to residents of the 122nd Assembly District, Assemblyman Clifford Crouch said ethics reform is being largely ignored in Albany.
“One thing that legislative leaders and the governor have refused to acknowledge is ethics reform,” Crouch stated. “This is unacceptable.”
Crouch is among several legislators to introduce a plan to combat corruption in Albany. His plan includes enacting true pension forfeiture for politicians convicted of felonies and denying campaign welfare plans that use tax dollars to benefit politicians getting elected.
Crouch’s plan also calls for the passing the Public Officers Accountability Act (A.4617) which would set an eight-year term limit for legislative leaders and committee chairs; require the return of campaign funds to donors or charity upon felony convictions; create a new crime for failure to report corruption; limit use of campaign funds to campaign activities and prohibit use of those funds for criminal defense fees; and replace the Joint Commission on Public Ethics with a “truly independent investigative panel.”