More Questions From the Times

The New York Times has seven more questions for candidates running for office in New York this year. They are all worth a look.

We'd like to focus on one of them:

Do legislators deserve a pay raise?

The Times says "no way." We say that before the state legislature even considers giving itself a pay raise, it must pass real rules reform. Without real rules reform, legislators can answer the other six questions any way they want -- it will be very difficult for the voters to hold them accountable in two years. Right now, there is almost no transparency or accountability in the State Legislature. Minutes and reports from committee meetings are almost non-existent, hearings on bills are rarely held, and controversial issues almost never make it to the chamber floor for debate or a vote. The Senate and Assembly continue to pass bills coming to the floor at a rate of nearly 100%, very often unanimously.

How do I know what my legislator has done if none of the issues I care about are ever publicly aired?

Categories: General, Rules Reform