Bankrupting New York's Businesses

Upstateblog also links to this excellent essay by Dan Richardson, of Hamilton Manor and Latta Road Nursing Homes in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Richardson decries the fact that there has been no public debate in the legislature on comprehensive workmen's compensation reform or on tort reform of the "scaffold law," which he says makes liability insurance unaffordable for many small businesses.

Given how outraged many small businesses are about these costs, it is rather amazing that none of the many reform bills proposed by either party addressing either issue has been the subject of a public debate on the floor of either chamber. Or it would be rather amazing, if we were talking about some other state's legislature. As Richardson notes, this is New York, where debate and amendment of bills on the legislative floor is virtually non-existent. Says Richardson:

If I ran my business this way, with no debate on issues of merit, no discussion of ways to improve quality, without an open door where criticisms are welcome, I would be out of business, bankrupt. Well, I say that this sclerotic process in Albany is bankrupting New York. It's high time we hold our legislators accountable for the lack of debate and action on issues critical to our citizens and businesses alike.

Fortunately, even in New York, we get that chance every couple of years.

Categories: General, Legislative Rules