“It is deplorable that after two of the three most powerful men in Albany were convicted of corruption, we are still left victim to the ‘three men in a room’ process of negotiating the state budget. This is a perfect example of how Albany is not inclined to change for the better and absolute power corrupts absolutely. How is it that three individuals have the exclusive power to spend the tax dollars of 19 million people? It is preposterous.

“What we need are term limits and pension forfeiture for corrupt lawmakers, both of which seem to be left out of this year’s budget talks. Only then will Albany truly embrace accountability and take power out of the hands of a chosen few and return it to the people of this state. The public deserves to know how we spend their money, and I won’t stop fighting until that happens.”