The Remarks Of Speaker Sheldon Silver

Reform New York Day 2006

ESP, The Egg, The Hart Lounge, Albany, NY
Tuesday, May 9, 2006

Thank you, Rachel [Leon], for that generous introduction and thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for that cordial reception.

On behalf of the New York State Assembly, let me first thank Rachel Leon of Common Cause for inviting me to participate in this second annual "Reform New York Day."

Let me also thank the many sponsoring organizations for conducting this important event.

I'm sure that there are many "reform advocates" who wish they could be here with you. Thank you for giving them a voice in today's proceedings.

Your efforts to bring greater openness and greater accountability to state government is a laudable and necessary endeavor, and one that I and my Assembly colleagues unquestionably share with each and every one of you.

Government the enemy. Government the obstacle. Government the scapegoat.

Often times, it is a smart political strategy for the outsider who wants in, and the insider who wants cuts in order to shift the people's wealth in other directions.

I have spent 30 years of my life serving in this state government, and I have seen all that there is to see, the good and the bad. I know that criticism will always be part of public life, as it should be. I know the difference between genuine reform, and change for the sake of change.

The Assembly Majority owns a clearly defined record of genuine government reform.

To take this government where I want it to go, where you want it to go, we need comprehensive campaign finance reform. That is the linchpin.

Enacting real, comprehensive, campaign finance reform gets us to all of the other reform issues we are working on today. It is "domino number one." Once we've knocked that one down, all other reforms follow.

Since becoming Speaker, I have sponsored - and the Assembly has repeatedly passed - legislation that would radically and permanently reform our state's campaign financing system.

In addition, we have led the way in computerizing state-level campaign records.

I believe - I firmly believe - that public financing is the only way we can guarantee that the public's needs are at the forefront of government decisions.

Five years ago, I authored and the Assembly passed "The Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2001." Our legislation:

• Provided optional matching funds to candidates in statewide and state legislative races, with participating candidates required to follow campaign spending and contribution limits;

• Limited amounts that can be donated to candidates and political committees;

• Banned fundraising events by state legislators and statewide candidates within a 40-mile radius of Albany during the legislative session;

• Improved reporting procedures;

• Closed loopholes that allow corporations to avoid campaign contribution limits by funneling donations through subsidiary companies;

• Curtailed the use of political parties' housekeeping accounts;

• Required clear identification of the funding source for communication materials circulated in support of or against candidates;

• And empowered local governments to enact public financing programs for local campaigns.

I believed so strongly in this comprehensive legislative agenda, I personally debated it on the floor of the Assembly.

I said it then, and I'll say it again today, the people of this State must be able to have confidence in the political process and to trust that all of their voices will be heard in election campaigns.

Each year, we have improved upon and passed our comprehensive campaign finance reform, to no avail.

As I promised at the beginning of this session, we are studying your recommendations and those of other good-government groups to further improve the financing of elections.

Equally important, we will keep our promise to act on comprehensive legislative programs addressing lobbying disclosure as well as ethics reform.

Ultimately, all of us want better, more efficient, more honest government.

All of us want our government colleagues at every level to abide by the highest ethical standards because more often than not, we are all painted with the same broad brush.

Twelve years ago, I was formally elected Speaker of the Assembly.

It was one of the great moments of my life.

While it is true that it was my personal goal to ensure the independence of the People's House of the New York State Legislature, it was not my hope or the realization of my dream to lead this House in a 12-year-long environment of enduring hostility, impossible arrogance, and utter disregard for the democratic process.

This administration came to Albany in 1995, with the intention of steamrolling all who opposed them. So, it is misguided to think that you can separate government from the personalities of the men and women who lead it.

It is only because the Legislature increasingly asserted its independence and leadership that the hope of real reform burns so brightly, today.

Yes, criticize the Legislature as need be. We're not perfect, but we will listen and we have listened. We have changed and we will continue to change.

The Assembly Majority was the first to propose bipartisan, joint conference committees. We want conference committees on every issue. I publicly committed to that effort in January.

Over the years, we have stood with the advocates and with the good-government groups and announced campaign finance reform, budget reform, lobbying reform, public authorities reform, judicial reform, election reform, procurement lobbying reform, and Freedom of Information Act reform.

We have spent a lot of time working with our colleagues across the aisle to bring common and significant change to the rules and procedures of the People's House.

We have worked with our colleagues in the Senate, to televise our proceedings. We are working toward the day when this state government will have a dedicated, 24-hour-per-day, C-SPAN-style public affairs channel.

"Reform," no matter how necessary or appropriate rarely occurs overnight.

Yesterday, we held a press conference urging the Governor and the Senate further reform the Rockefeller Drug Laws as they had publicly promised in 2004.

So, yes, criticize us, but don't expect us to take any criticism seriously when it exempts this Executive from that criticism.

This State has never had a more dysfunctional executive branch than the current administration.

Just as an example: this Governor spends tens of thousands of dollars making television commercials touting health insurance for the poor, then he cuts the program, claiming it's too expensive.

Rather than lead on the issues that matter, this Governor spends his time crafting constitutional arguments to justify his usurping of the Legislature's authority. All the while, there are public authorities, state agencies and foundations operating nearly free and independent of public scrutiny.

This Governor has in the past, even walked away from the negotiating table and left the state to raise money for his friends in other states.

This is the world in which we have operated for most of the last twelve years.

At any point, the administration could have gathered us together, laid out its priorities, and worked out historic agreements with the Legislature on any number of issues.

Certainly, history has provided this administration with its fair share of challenges with which to build a legacy, even that legacy of reform.

So when you're judging us - as you should - keep in mind that "reform" is a broad term.

To me and to my Assembly colleagues, "reform" also means standing up for school children, not appealing C.F.E. for a decade, and not suggesting that an eighth-grade education is sufficient for our future leaders and our future workforce.

To us, reform means ensuring that every New Yorker receives the health care that they need.

To us, reform means keeping the dream of a college education alive, and finding new ways to create jobs, so that young professionals won't need to abandon their hometowns.

To us, reform means justice for all regardless of age, race, religious affiliation, ethnicity, gender.

To the Assembly Majority, "reform" also means, being open to your agenda and making this government more open, more accountable, and more participatory.

It means restoring the People's faith in the People's House.

Criticize us. We will listen. But for the sake of all New Yorkers, work with us as well.

We can be partners. We should be partners.

My door - and the doors of the Assembly Majority - are open to you.

A new administration is approaching. Let's work together to ensure that we're all on the same path to reform. Thank you for listening.