Times urges tougher ethics reform in NY
The package of ethics reform that the state legislature in New York has drafted are a good start, but this editorial in today's New York Times complains that:
... the plan is not the full-fledged housecleaning necessary for a place that has gone too long without the slightest dusting of reform.
And the Times editorial also criticizes the package for not adequately addressing the issue of lawmakers' outside income:
The (current) proposal would mandate more disclosure, including requirements that lawmakers list income ranges to $1 million or more. That is a clear improvement, but there is a big hole: exemptions for the Legislature’s lawyers, including Mr. Silver, who would not be required to list clients. That is wrong. A lawmaker’s first obligation is to the public, not the clients.
Let's hope other newspapers and commentators join the Times in urging legislators to set a high bar for ethics reform.
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