Podcast: Ethics reformers' reproach

At the top of the year, it seemed inconceivable that the legislative session would go by in Albany without the governor and Legislature coming to some sort of agreement on ethics reform – be it term limits, pension forfeiture for convicted public officials or closing the so-called “LLC loophole.” The corruption convictions of two of the state’s most powerful politicians in late 2015, Sheldon Silver and Dean Skelos, were viewed by many good government advocates as the tipping point in shining a light on the unethical practices of state legislators.

Fast forward three months, and it now appears that not a single ethics reform proposal will be included in the state budget, and there are serious doubts that they will pass before the end of the session.

Two of the state’s foremost good government advocates, Blair Horner from the New York Public Interest Research Group and Barbara Bartoletti from the League of Women Voters, joined Gerson Borrero and me on this week’s Slant Podcast to discuss why Gov. Andrew Cuomo appears to be reneging on his promise to clean up Albany. We discuss the various proposals Cuomo put on the table, the lack of follow-up from the two state houses and whether New York is passing up its “Watergate” moment for true reform.

Gerson also gives us the latest bochinche on a birthday greeting the Corrections Officers Benevolent Association has planned for Melissa Mark-Viverito this weekend.

To download, review and subscribe to The Slant Podcast on iTunes, click here. You can also listen to the podcast on Stitcher.