1. Background

Jewish tradition has long recognized not only the importance of government, but also the positive role that governments can play in establishing a society of tzedek v’shalom, justice and peace.

New York State has been criticized for years for having a loose ethical climate and ethics oversight agencies have been described as inadequate for years, including after 2007 reforms.

The push for reform became a priority last year after the “coup” and subsequent stalemate in the state Senate , and when former Senate majority leader, Joseph Bruno, was convicted of criminal charges of using his public office for his personal gain. Another former lawmaker, Anthony Seminerio, D-Queens, was sentenced recently to six years in prison on corruption charges.

Ensuring the independence of any new Ethics Commission is critical for creating an effective oversight body and restoring public confidence in state government. Three key elements have been proposed to be included in ethics legislation to insure independence:

• Establishing oversight functions through a new entity(ies) with independent and effective oversight over the executive and legislative branches of government.
• Achieving greater independence in the appointment process by not having elected officials pick who monitors their own behavior.
• Ensuring staff independence by appointing an executive director to a fixed term removable only for cause.

In addition to ethics reform, there are also other good government issues that reformers are discussing and are important to support including:

• Election Reform – improve election processes that extend and encourage voting including no-excuse absentee balloting and Election Day registration.
• Campaign Finance Reform – support lower contribution limits and increased disclosure like stronger and effective campaign finance enforcement with increased civil and criminal penalties for violations.
• Changes in the state’s $200 million member-item program under which the legislature and the governor provide cash to projects and organizations. The goal is to have taxpayer dollars spent fairly and effectively and included in the budget.

2. Status and Legislative Summary

Ethics reform bills were passed by the New York State Assembly (A.9544) and Senate (S.6457) in January 2010. Although the bill was far from perfect, it was a first step toward improving both ethics and campaign finance enforcement and creating greater transparency.

Included in the bill were critical changes to executive branch ethics, lobbying oversight, campaign finance enforcement, and disclosure requirements and creation of an office of legislative ethics investigation that would contain no lawmakers or lobbyists , and have the power to fully investigate complaints..

However, Governor Paterson vetoed the bill saying “While there are positive aspects of this legislation, it does not go far enough in addressing the corrosive effects of outside influence and internal decay that have caused the people of New York to lose faith and trust in their government.”

The Assembly overrode the Governor’s veto 136-2, however, the Senate could not come up with the two-thirds margin to override the bill so there is currently no new ethics law.

We must continue to let our legislators know the importance to us of good and ethical government in our state.

3. Position of the Reform Jewish Movement

As early as the 1940’s our Reform rabbis, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, in a resolution said “We urgently recommend that the religious leaders of America interest themselves actively in civic affairs and civic organizations in order that incompetency and corruption be ended in Government and ethical standards be maintained in the interest of the citizens.”

Our tradition teaches us that the process of choosing leaders is not a privilege but a collective responsibility. The Sage Hillel taught: Al tifros min hatzibur, “Do not separate yourself from the community.”

In addition, the Reform Movement has policy resolutions on Ethics Reform (December 1972), Election Reform (December 2001), and Congressional Campaign Finance Reform (May 1984). The Reform movement supports the rights of all Americans especially concerning the right to vote, and demands free and unfettered elections as a civil and equal rights imperative. The movement has called on the nation to provide reliable methods of voting, to count all valid ballots accurately and to ease voter registration and election burdens, including same day voter registration..

4. Related Links

League of Women Voters 

New York Public Interest Research Group

Citizens Union of the City of New York

Interfaith Impact of New York State

Common Cause

5. Talking Points

• As Reform Jews, we have been directed by our rabbis for decades to work to assure that incompetency and corruption are ended in government and that ethical standards are maintained.
• Good and ethical New York State government is important to us and we expect our elected representatives to take action, both personal and in their official capacity, to make it so.
• It is essential that public confidence in our state government is restored.
• We hope that you will work to develop new legislation that will: 
  1) Provide real ethics reform and establish oversight mechanisms through independent entities for the executive and legislative branches of government.
  2) Have an appointment process that will not have elected officials choose the members of this entity.
  3) Assure good and ethical state government through establishment of independent redistricting commission, election and campaign finance reform.