Assemblyman Phil Palmesano (R,C,I-Corning) and his Assembly Minority colleagues want to make good use of the remaining days of this year’s legislative session. Today, they unveiled legislation (A.5657-A) which would promote transparency and accountability and implement independent oversight of a vast array of economic development programs currently controlled by the governor, such as START-Up New York.

“There must be concrete criteria in place so that legislators, economists, business leaders and, most important of all, hardworking taxpayers, can evaluate these programs,” said Palmesano. “This legislation ensures that the comptroller, attorney general and state budget director will be empowered with independent oversight of these programs. Checks and balances are so important.”

Additionally, the legislation, authored by Assemblyman Robert C. Oaks (R,C,-Macedon), would strengthen reporting guidelines for state-run economic development entities and impose penalties (such as withholding salary from the governor and the director of the agency) for any beneficiary agencies that fail to deliver the reports on time.

The bill would also outlaw the use of non-profits for state procurement purposes, such as the ones at the heart of the escalating SUNY Poly scandal. (Former SUNY Poly President Alain Kaloyeros is accused of misappropriating taxpayer funds through non-profit real estate entities and funneling the money for development projects to politically-connected contractors with virtually no oversight.) The bill would also require all economic development spending to be vetted for conflicts of interest and that all recipients of taxpayer-funded money be publically identified.

Palmesano said the bill is about promoting the kind of transparency that helps citizens make informed choices.

“Taxpayers deserve to know if the programs being pushed by the governor or any of their representatives are working well. They deserve to know that there is independent oversight over their hard-earned money. We’re not there yet, but we can be if our colleagues will join us and act with urgency before the end of the legislative session,” said Palmesano.