“An honest politician is an oxymoron.” — Mark Twain
During the 2022 political campaign, politicians spent months asking the public for money and votes. In the New York governor’s race Kathy Hochul and Lee Zeldin burned through a combined $78 million. Chuck Schumer spent $41 million on his Senate campaign.
We voters were inundated with emails, texts, snail mails, commercials, lawn signs, speeches and other intrusions on our reverie by both virtuous and iniquitous candidates clamoring for our attention.
5.7 million New Yorkers responded with their votes.
Now that the so-called “silly season” has mercifully ended, what are our elected officials doing? Well, the first thing the Legislature did was to go into special session to give themselves a $32,000 raise. Members of the Assembly and Senate are now the highest paid state lawmakers in the nation, raking in $142,000, a 29% increase.
That’s a lot of moolah considering the median household income in the state is $75,157 and the per capita income is $43,208, according to the U.S. Census bureau.
I personally don’t begrudge hardworking public servants a fair wage for an honest days work. And I have no doubt that the vast majority of our elected officials are honest. Although, to be frank, the record is mixed when it comes to righteousness in the state Capitol.
Here a few examples of our politicians’ character.
At least 28 members of the Assembly have been convicted or pleaded guilty to serious crimes since 2000. The one I feel most strongly about is Sheldon Silver.
I lived in Speaker Silver’s district for 13 years and voted for him six times. Silver was considered a community hero. However, my neighbors and I were hoodwinked by that swindler. Luckily, he got his comeuppance. Silver was convicted of multiple corruption charges and died in federal prison.
Four Senate majority leaders have been convicted of corruption in recent years — Dean Skelos, Malcolm Smith, Pedro Espada Jr., and Joseph Bruno. The leaders were not the only jailbirds. At least 16 other state senators committed serious crimes.
Okay, maybe the Legislature attracts a disproportionate number of criminals. But surely our statewide elected officials are members of the upright citizens brigade. Right?
Well, Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned after 11 women accused him of sexual harassment and Gov. Eliot Spitzer quit after being caught patronizing prostitutes.
Other officials in the State Hall of Shame include Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Comptroller Alan Hevesi. Schneiderman slipped out the back door after allegedly physically abusing women following heavy drinking. Hevesi pleaded guilty to a “pay-to-play” scheme involving the state pension fund. He got four years in the slammer for that. But Hevesi beat the rap for giving $800,000 to Ray Harding, who was chairman of the Liberal Party.
So, what are our local state officials promising to do for us this legislative session? I hope the first thing is to stay out of prison. I haven’t heard anything about improving ethical standards.
Sen. Peter Oberacker was the only Republican I voted for in 2022. Following Gov. Hochul’s State of the State address, Oberacker criticized the governor for not solving the problems of “outmigration, skyrocketing state spending and rising crime.” But the senator said nothing about politicians with sticky fingers.
Two of the Assembly members representing our area spoke about their plans. Assemblyman Brian Miller’s goals are to deliver “relief for our taxpayers” and protect farmers. Miller also said scandals distract the Legislature from doing “good work.” Acknowledging scandals is good first step.
Assemblyman Joseph Angelino was Norwich’s police chief for 20 years. He is promising to “work to protect the interests of New York’s incredible law enforcement agents.” That’s nice, but I nominate Angelino for the post of “Sheriff of the Legislature” with a mandate to hunt down the Albany scoundrels fleecing the public treasury.
So, was Mark Twain right about politicians? I hope not.
Don Mathisen is a journalist living in Oneonta.