Don’t miss CCP Chairman Brad Smith’s commentary in City Journal on a catch-all “ethics” proposal — the nuclear option of campaign finance regulation, so to speak — by New York Gov. David Paterson.
An excerpt:
Facing the most severe budget crisis in state history, New York governor David Paterson has wagered his political future on a dubious idea: that voters will think it’s wise to funnel millions of taxpayer dollars into the campaigns of scandal-ridden politicians. In Wednesday’s State of the State address, Paterson announced an extremely broad political “reform” package. The laundry list includes a new, all-powerful ethics oversight commission; expanded reporting of outside income for lawmakers; a constitutional amendment enacting term limits; reducing the maximum individual campaign contribution by 97 percent, with even greater reductions on campaign contributions by lobbyists; a ban on contributions by any corporation or limited liability partnership; a prohibition on “bundling” campaign contributions (that is, delivering multiple individual contributions from one source, such as a company or advocacy group, to the campaign at one time, to emphasize the source and reason for the support); new regulations for the state comptroller’s office; and an increase in civil fines for campaign-finance violations of up to 250 percent, plus the criminalization of some violations.
Paterson,
Your politics are neither left nor right. You are just wrong for New York in any light.
You asked state employees to take a pay cut and give your staff raises. You asked forgiveness for past sins with women and drugs and involve yourself in backroom deals with AEG. You asked for the police to not involve themselves in political affairs and interfere in the investigation of your advisor. You asked to penalize the drinking of soda in the name of health and sought new taxes on gyms and personal trainers.
Now again, you seek to take money from our pockets, sap strength from our economy and steal food from our table. By raising the cost of soda by 50%, are you hoping that NY will start drinking more cheap booze? Were you hoping that the beer-goggles could elect you to your own term as governor?
Are you just the front for special interest thievery? Is the two million from SEIU 1099 to support of the soda tax the going price for selling out New York?
“When I travel across the state, I see communities suffering…” Governor Paterson, in the end you ring false.
With the end of Paterson’s stint as governor, what is to come of SEIU’s plans for New York? It is hard to believe that the Service Employee International Union (SEIU) 1199 will simply allow the two million dollars investment in the soda tax simply fall to the wayside. We know whom the SEIU had in their pocket. And how that black-handed, double-dealing agent worked out for them.
So who will be the new face of the SEIU’s regressive policy for New York? What politician would be willing to back a union in their money grab from hardworking middle and lower classes of New York? State Health Commissioner Richard Daines is already out there toting the SEIU’s campaign to tax New Yorkers into poverty.