At times it appears that Dean Skelos can’t chew gum and walk.
The state Senate leader from Rockville Centre finds it difficult to focus on two issues at once. Last fall, Skelos pledged his support for the redistricting reform championed by former New York City Mayor Ed Koch.
Now the Republican leader says he is too busy to address the gerrymandering that is responsible for the near total dysfunction in the state Legislature.
“Cutting government spending, reducing taxes, providing property tax relief and creating private sector jobs are critically important issues that impact every family and business in this state,” Skelos said. “That’s why our focus right now must be on getting a fiscally responsible budget enacted by April 1st, which is just 43 days away.”
We agree. Jobs and tax relief are extremely important in every corner of New York State. But real and lasting reform of state government will not occur until the problem of gerrymandering is solved.
Koch is miffed and rightly so. Skelos and the senate Republicans pledged last fall to support his New York Uprising. Now they are reneging.
After a private meeting with Skelos, Koch said, “He is not going to honor his commitment. He is running out on good government. He’s obviously the anti-reform party now.”
Koch, who at 86 has nothing personal to gain from this campaign, added, “You know, you either have to honor your pledge or you’re, in my judgment, dishonorable… Politics sometimes causes people to give up their decency.”
The redistricting that takes place every 10 years is the central reason for the legislative gridlock in Albany. This process protects elected officials from the wrath of voters who don’t understand why year after year nothing gets done in Albany. The majorities in each house have used redistricting to protect incumbents and maintain the party’s political power.
During the campaign Skelos and most GOP candidates, including state Sen. Jack Martins of Mineola, signed Koch’s NY Uprising pledge. The key elements of the pledge are non-partisan, independent redistricting, responsible budgeting and ethics reforms.
Last month Gov. Cuomo introduced an independent redistricting proposal that embodies the goals of the NY Uprising. His goal is to take politics out of the redistricting process and eliminate gerrymandering.
But Skelos said that he is concerned about the “constitutionality” of Cuomo’s proposal and he’s too busy right now to focus on redistricting.
And now that the elections are over, Martins has been silent on an issue that deserves bipartisan support.
Koch once called Skelos “a Hero of Reform.” That was then.
Now Skelos is showing that his word doesn’t mean very much. The senator has backed away from reform and has instead become the champion of Business As Usual in Albany.
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