This morning on the steps of Syracuse City Hall, former New York City mayor Ed Koch called for reform in Albany. Koch, 85, stood with more than 10 lawmakers and politicians who want the state government to engage in non-partisan redistricting, responsible budgeting and ethics reform. These three goals are part of the NY Uprising pledge, which has been signed...
This morning on the steps of Syracuse City Hall, former New York City mayor Ed Koch called for reform in Albany.
Koch, 85, stood with more than 10 lawmakers and politicians who want the state government to engage in non-partisan redistricting, responsible budgeting and ethics reform.
Former New York City mayor Ed Koch is challenging the state's lawmakers to reform the political process.These three goals are part of the NY Uprising pledge, which has been signed by 280 candidates running for office around New York. Koch, who led New York City from 1978 to 1989, founded the organization earlier this year.
“We think that this is a year that we can get something done,” Koch said. “For those legislators who renege on their pledge, I’m going to be in their district, and there will be others ... yelling, ‘liar, liar pants on fire.’”
Koch has called those who have signed the pledge the “Heroes of Reform.” They include Sen. David J. Valesky, D-Oneida; Assemblyman Al Stirpe, D-North Syracuse; Sen. John DeFrancisco, R-Syracuse and Rick Guy, former Syracuse Common Councilor who is running for the 120th Assembly seat.
“We are in bad need of reform,” Guy said. “The devil is not in the details of these reform pledges, the dragons to be slayed are in the leadership of the Assembly. As long as the membership of the Assembly doesn’t change its leadership, we can’t change New York.”
The “Enemies of Reform,” those who have not signed the pledge, include Assembly members Joan Christensen, D-Syracuse; Bill Magnarelli, D-Syracuse; William Barclay, R-Pulaski and Sen. Darrel Aubertine, D-Cape Vincent.
According to the pledge, these changes include:
• Prohibiting a campaign contribution to a state official or a candidate’s campaign committee, from an entity that solicits or obtains any state business, contract, franchise, concession, pension fund investment agreement or funding.
• Districts shall not be drawn to favor or oppose any political party, incumbent, or candidates for office. Cracking, stacking and similar redistricting techniques should be prohibited.
• Creation of an independent budget office to be overseen by a board of politically independent persons.
Although the state budget was finally passed Tuesday night, there is still a lot left to do in rebuilding New York’s image, Koch said.
“This particular year, the whole nation has been looking at New York and they are laughing at us,” he said. “The whole nation, including the people who live in New York, when they look at the Albany legislature, they are angry that they are so poorly represented. I blame it on the leadership.”
Contact Fernando Alfonso III at falfonso@syracuse.com.