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"2010: The Battle for the NYS Senate"
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Interview with Rick Lazio
October 12th, 2009
Background: As the first announced challenger to incumbent David Paterson, Rick Lazio is trying to define the issues that will determine next year's gubernatorial election. The Empire Page wanted to know why Rick is running and how he would lead the state.
Q#1: What are your qualifications to be the governor of New York?
A: I have a unique set of qualifications to be Governor of New York. I’ve been a prosecutor, local legislator, and a member of Congress. I’ve also been the president of an organization of Chief Executive Officers, in addition to being a leader at a fortune 50 company. I understand both the public and private sector, and I’d like to put those skills to use for New Yorkers to bring about sweeping fundamental change.
Q#2: Clearly Albany has become more and more disfunctional in recent years. What needs to change -- other than electing you as governor?
A: We need sweeping fundamental change in Albany. I’ve called for a constitutional convention to bring about that change. I think the legislature is broken, and I’d like to see a complete overhaul. I’ve proposed replacing the Assembly and the Senate with one body – a unicameral legislature. That way we avoid the games of passing one bill in one house and never passing it in another, and we’ll eliminate the conference committees where important legislation is negotiated behind closed doors. We need to have transparency in the legislative process so our leaders in Albany will be held accountable to the people they represent. There are a lot of great ideas that others have proposed as well like term limits, and independent redistricting, which I support.
I compare the situation in Albany to a leaky roof. You patch it five, ten times and it still leaks. You can’t just continue to patch it. You have to get rid of the whole roof and replace it with a new one. That’s exactly what we need to do with our government and that’s exactly what I’ll do when I’m governor. We need sweeping fundamental change if we’re going to give the people of New York the type of Government they deserve.
Q#3: You have come out in favor of a unicameral legislature. Why do
you think that would work better than the structure we've had for more than 200
years?
A: I favor a unicameral legislature for the reasons I outlined above. But this isn’t a new idea. The City of New York and almost every municipality and county is governed by a unicameral legislature and there’s no reason to continue a system that stifles transparency and lowers the accountability of our elected officials in Albany. There’s no reason for two legislative bodies.
Q#4: Our country's founding fathers created the Senate to put a brake on
the House of Representatives to prevent popular majorities from trampling on
those who disagree with them. Won't you be doing away with this
protection in New York with a unicameral body?
A: Unlike on the federal level, New York State’s two legislative bodies basically represent identical constituencies of similar size. Adittionaly, we have the Governor, and a Court system that serves as a check on the legislature. New York State’s constitution hasn’t been updated in decades and we need to change it for the 21st century.
Q#5: If you are elected governor what problems would be on the top of your agenda?
A: Fundamentally reforming state government, growing jobs, cutting government spending, property taxes, fixing our schools, reforming health care, and improving education.
Q#6: Constant growth in government at all levels has saddled New Yorkers
with some of the highest state income and local property tax rates in the
nation. Yet many of our local governments and school districts have huge
ongoing obligations. What can be done to restore tax competitiveness in
New York?
A: I favor a hard property tax cap at the local level. I plan on rolling out a detailed plan in this regard and having a discussion with the people of New York about the best way to stop crushing mandates being handed down from Albany.
Q#7: If you are elected governor you will certainly be dealing with an Assembly dominated by New York City Democrats and possibly a
Democratic-controlled Senate as well. Isn't that a recipe for gridlock?
A: I didn’t get in this race to play partisan politics. The people of this state are interested in seeing sweeping reform being brought to this state. This isn’t about politics, this is about people – our problems are dire, and they need to be addressed now. That’s why I’m running, and that’s why I’m going to win.
October 14th, 2009 at 01:12 PM According to Wikipedia, Unicameral Legislature were and are also common in Communist (like People's Republic of China and Cuba) and former Communist states, since under Socialist point of view the institution of Senate was seen as conservative, oligarchial, elitist and pro-bourgeoise by nature. It seems like Obama and company have been trying to push a Socialist agenda on the country. Doesn't this play right into that mindset. Let fix what we have instead of trying to imitate the Communists. Personally I would like to see the people in politics who are not politicians - just plain ordinary working people, taking a turn doing their best at running the government, just like those on Jury Duty. The court system has not failed because of it!
November 24th, 2009 at 09:40 PM Rick Lazio is right - NY has no need to waste resources on a two-house legislature. The two houses just mean that legislation is worked out behind the scenes in the conference meetings. There would be less opportunity for that in a unicameral house and debates would move out onto the floor, in public. Save money, better government.