The Empire Page

Last week we asked our readers to grade the NYS Legislature’s ethics proposal, coming as it did only days after Gov. David Paterson offered his recommendations in his state of the state. Our readers didn’t like the Legislature’s particulars at all. Forty-four percent gave them a failing “F” and 29 percent gave them a “D”. Only 3 percent gave the Legislature an “A”, 12% thought they deserved a “B” and 11% saw the proposals as worthy of a “C”.

The New York Times’ editorial board today sided with the governor, urging him to veto the Legislature’s version of ethics reform and to hold out for:

1) “severely limiting use of campaign money”
2) revising the two-class disclosure requirement that benefits lawyers
3) a plan that places more oversight on the Legislature
4) a non-partisan commission on redistricting, and
5) two Republican proposals — one giving the AG power to enforce campaign finance laws and the other a scheme that would alternative the party affiliation of the board of elections’ special counsel.

This Week’s Poll Question: Grade the Governor

Since our readers seem to enjoy passing out grades, we are asking them this week to grade the governor on his budget which he presented on Tuesday. My guess is that he’ll get passing grades, but with only 10% or so “A’s”.