Editorial

Albany should resolve to fight corruption

Posted

New York’s Assembly members and senators have returned to Albany to begin the latest legislative session. In the coming months, they, along with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, will produce the state budget.

Important decisions will be made on education and health care funding, infrastructure projects and economic development. But one major issue needs to be addressed in this session: corruption.

The recent convictions of two high-profile legislators should send a message to the rest that it’s time to clean up Albany. It’s not time to just say it, it’s time to actually do it. In a span of two weeks, former Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and former Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos were convicted of public corruption, and they face significant jail time. And the corruption is seen on both sides of the aisle — Silver is a Democrat and Skelos a Republican.

More than two dozen members of the State Legislature have been indicted or convicted of corruption in the past 15 years, so it’s no wonder that state government has become the punch line of an unfunny joke. We know there are some good, honest representatives in office. It’s time for them to become the vocal members of their respective legislative bodies and demand good government.

There have been too many instances of legislators leaving in disgrace to deny that there’s a problem. The storied career of Skelos, the beloved senator from Rockville Centre known for fighting hard for Long Island’s interests and bringing money home to his district, melted down from majority leader to convicted felon in less than a year.

In recent weeks, both Skelos and Silver have filed for their state pensions. Silver will collect about $90,000 per year, and Skelos about $95,000. Those pensions are constitutionally protected, despite the men’s convictions.

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