The New York State legislature is in the throes of controversy, so much so that they're literally doing nothing, because this week a couple of renegade Democratic State Senators decided to caucus with the Republicans, thus giving the Republicans the majority in the State Senate. The Democrats, who only took the Senate over this year for the first time in decades, are trying to circle the wagons or something. What will this mean for New York politics, given that our state government is a cesspool of failure by any measurable standard except for the ability of people in government to stay there and consolidate their power? Not much, I suppose. This state's government is as bad as it gets.
Makes me almost want to move to Maine, where they're actually working toward eliminating one house of their legislature. Wow...a state legislature that takes things seriously and uses the legislative process to do constructive things, instead of just using various procedural and political processes to maintain status quo? Maine must be a veritable land of milk and honey!
The personal blog of author Kelly Sedinger, chronicling the adventures of one overalls-clad wanderer.
5 comments:
What kind of liberal democrat are you anyway? My word man! Applauding a state that is decreasing the size of its government in the name of efficiency. Tisk,tsk. What's next? Are you going to start taking unions to task for being self serving and inflexible with regard to labor contracts?
I would like to seem them upstarts try this sort of efficient government shenanigans in Ohio or Jersey.
I'm in favor of good government, not all government. Here in NYS, we're up to our necks in bad governance.
Your site is very informative! The way you present your articles is exquisite. Would you mind if we exchange links?
Actually, I tend to favor bicameral legislatures in the abstract, even actually =the US Congress, for all its flaws. Efficiency is highly overrated when deliberation is often needed.
But the NYS legislature is SO broken, SO inept - we're back to a bunch of one-house bills that the Assembly will pass and the Senate will sit on.
Arrrgh!!
The word efficiency has the power of kryptonite on idealists. EFFICIENCY...BOO
Legislating was originally intended to be a part time job, thus efficiency was implied in the bicameral design.
Deliberation is a noble cause that becomes bunk and at the least folly when undermined by lobbying.
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