We thought the day might never happen.
Finally the hammer has come down on Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver.
The second most powerful man in New York State politics has stepped down after being arrested for allegedly using the power of his office to make millions of dollars for his private law practice.
United States Attorney Preet Bharara has made it clear that this is just the beginning as his office works to clean up the “caldron of corruption” in Albany.
But what concerns us more than the millions of dollars in payoffs that Silver allegedly took in is the political system in state government that made this corruption possible.
At the moment the fate of every piece of legislation is controlled by three people: the governor, the Assembly speaker and Senate majority leader.
Each has the power to block any piece of legislation, no matter how sensible or how much political support it has.
For years, to get anything done, legislators knew they had to kiss the ring of Sheldon Silver, a man who was not a great friend of Nassau County.
The rules in the Assembly and Senate must change.
That needs to be given the highest priority. With Silver gone, this can and must happen.
One man or woman must not possess the power to block legislation.
Gov. Cuomo has said he will not sign a state budget that does not include a plan for eliminating corruption in state government. This would be a good place to start.
In addition limits must be set on how much state legislators can make in outside employment.
Many now see their work in Albany as a part-time job while they make thousands, even millions at law practices or real estate. The potential for conflict to interest is obvious.
There are reports that Bharara’s office is looking at the outside income of state Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos.
The Rockville Center resident works for a law firm Uniondale that specializes in real-estate litigation.
According to a published report, “in 2013, Skelos reported being paid between $150,000 and $250,000 by the firm.”
The people of New York deserve leaders who feel honored to represent them in the State Senate or Assembly and see their work in Albany as a full-time job.
