When New Yorkers see their elected officials arrested for corruption and led away in handcuffs; when members of the State Legislature wear wires to catch their colleagues in wrongdoing to reduce their own jail time; when desire for personal power and riches trumps the public interest; and when the sexual harassment of women workers in Albany is not only condoned, but covered up by Legislative leaders, you can't blame voters for wondering if good government is still possible.
When New York City officeholders lead efforts to rewrite the rules to extend their terms; when rich candidates spend obscene amounts of money to get themselves elected; when money from City Council "member items" finds its way into the pockets of legislators, their family members and friends; and when governmental entities, like the Board of Elections, publicly announce that they can't do their jobs, you can't blame voters for wondering if good government is still possible.
Some of us who work daily to make government better, more inclusive, and more responsive, might sometimes wonder the same thing. The recent session of the state Legislature offers a case in point. The Women's City Club of New York supported many progressive bills to improve the lives of New Yorkers, but except for the increase in the minimum wage adopted as part of the budget and the gun control law passed earlier this year, all of them either were defeated or were never even brought up for a vote.
What will it take to turn things around and restore confidence in government? Here are four recommendations to begin making elected officials accountable and to give voters a reason to actually show up at the polls:
1. Gov. Andrew Cuomo has repeatedly threatened that if the Legislature did not act to adopt anti-corruption measures, he would act to appoint a Moreland Commission "dedicated to rooting out corruption among public officials in Albany" with the power to examine "the key weaknesses in existing law and propose reforms in such areas as elections, campaign finance, and the abuse of public office or public funds for personal gain."
The governor should include in the commission's charge the task of overhauling the Board of Elections. The governor also should also include the state attorney general's office in the effort to fight corruption.
2. State officials still need to find a fair and open redistricting process that is truly independent. Defeating a constitutional amendment on redistricting next year will send state lawmakers back to the drawing board to come up with a redistricting process that does not leave them in total control of how congressional and legislative district lines are drawn.
3. Members of the state Assembly need to immediately remove Sheldon Silver as speaker. This action is vital to not only make the State Legislature stand up to protect its employees from sexual harassment but also to hold its leaders accountable for covering up the misdeeds of its members.
4. As Alice Paul and Lucy Burns reminded women during the fight for suffrage: "If women do not put their own freedom first, no one else will do so."
With that in mind, state legislators must act to adopt all 10 sections of the Women's Equality Agenda. The women of this state should accept nothing less. Abortion rights and reproductive freedom are fundamental and should not be negotiable.
Pam Elam is a member of the Women's City Club of New York. Her email address is plelam@aol.com.