Missing the Non-Existent Bus
Talk about finding out about something too late.
Today - April 29th - is Albany “Reform Day”. Citizens from across the state will be converging on Albany to promote the following agenda:
Enough… of rules that concentrate Albany’s power in the hands of only three men.
Enough… of sham ethics investigations conducted by partisan boards.
Enough… of campaign finance rules that allow incumbents to scare off high-quality, first-time candidates.
Enough… of district lines drawn by a majority party, with nothing in mind but the preservation of that majority.
Enough… of campaign funds subsidizing the personal lives of elected officials.
I don’t care if you’re a Goldwater conservative or a Kennedy liberal, that’s the kind of Albany reform just about everyone can agree on. (Everyone, that is, who isn’t on Albany’s payroll).
Today is the 29th, and today is the first I’ve heard of this via this post at the Albany Project. People are even being bused to Albany:
Buses will leave from Binghamton, Ithaca, Kingston, Long Island, New York City, Oneonta, Rochester, and Westchester.
That’s correct. A bus is not leaving from the second-largest city in the state.
You know, if I had known about this I would have promoted the bloody hell out of it, and tried to organize a Buffalo contingent to go along. Western New York is in a world of hurt due to the mismanagement and dysfunction of state government, and it’d be important that we join in this effort.
Oh, well. Maybe next time.
Russell Says:April 29th, 2008 at 11:32 am
“Enough… of campaign funds subsidizing the personal lives of elected officials.”
I agree wholeheartedly. Who could ever support a candidate that attempts to pay his rent or mortgage with campaign funds, even when it is against the law?
shopitall Says:April 29th, 2008 at 12:56 pm
And what about “retiring” and making off with your “campaign war chest” like MANY politicians do?
It seems to me that voters who support a candidate with money expect that money to be spent getting (usually RE-) ELECTED, not so he/she can run a lame campaign, lose & make off with a pile o’ CASH to become a LOBBYIST!
This seems wrong to me. Perhaps that money could go BACK to the people who originally wrote the checks? I’m just thinking out loud………………
Russell Says:April 29th, 2008 at 3:35 pm
It’s better than the days, not too long ago, when politicians could do whatever they wanted with that money. It was as if it were part of their retirement fund, at least at the federal level. So at least some progress has been made on that front, ensuring that the money has to be spent for political purposes. It’s not like the money can just be spent on a substitute teacher’s housing expenses.
The Amherst Times » Blog Archive » Hey! Can Anyone Hear Me? Says:April 30th, 2008 at 12:49 am
[…] April 29th, 2008 News 3 Comments […]
lulu Says:April 30th, 2008 at 2:02 pm
I will vote for a first time candidate who makes a mistake violating campaign law, acknowledges it when brought to his attention, and immediately makes a plan to rectify the situation by coming into compliance.
I will vote for a first time candidate who realized the an early start and grassroots approach to his campaign is necessary to have a reasonable chance at election. And by the way, it looks like Jon’s efforts are working as the endorsements keep coming aboard!