Paterson Wants Reforms On State Senate Perks

Now that the five-week long State Senate coup-turned-stalemate is over, thanks in no small part to Pedro Espada's defection from the Democrats to align with Republicans...only to boomerang back to the Democrats after being made majority leader, Governor Paterson is speaking out against the perks that apparently make switching party allegiances very tempting. He told the Associated Press, "It is so blatantly quid pro quo that it borders on the boundaries of illegality. And because no one is saying anything about it, it's becoming acceptable ... it's becoming very dangerous."

Paterson spoke to the AP on Thursday and claimed "a senator never associated with 'flipping' threatened to jump to another party if Paterson didn't put a specific bill on an agenda," which the governor considers "misfeasance." He said, "What it means is now there is a new threat in Albany, one that not just the fringe members, but the mainstream is beginning to embrace. In my opinion, the likely conclusion to this momentum is anarchy." The Post connects the dots, noting, "The governor's attack comes after two Democrats, Pedro Espada and Hiram Monserrate, joined Republicans June 8 for a coup against the Democratic majority. They both switched back to the Democrats and are believed to have been lured with promises of larger staffs, pork barrel spending and other enticements."

According to the AP, Paterson thinks that "anyone who changes sides becomes a freshman in their new conference, losing the many perks and powers of seniority afforded lawmakers in Albany." While the Senate has talked about reform—and plans to continue so—they were dismissive of Paterson's suggestions. Democratic spokesman Austin Shafran said, "Leadership is determined by the members of the conference," while GOP spokesman John McArdle said, "The governor should be focused more on his own problems. He should focus on the economy rather than trying to further his own political ambitions."