Battle Against Corruption Avoiding Big Steps

ALBANY (AP) —

Former state comptroller Alan Hevesi went to prison for influence-peddling at the state’s massive pension fund and gets by these days on a $105,941 pension. Former senator Carl Kruger is behind bars in a bribery conspiracy but still collects a $58,000-a-year pension. Former senator Nicholas Spano, who cast votes to spend billions of dollars in taxpayers’ money but failed to pay his own taxes, is eking out jail time on $70,154 a year.

In Albany, breaking the law might send state officials to prison and ruin careers, but their generous pensions are safe. And along with many questionable everyday practices in Albany, this isn’t expected to change anytime soon, despite politicians’ promises to end abuses and combat corruption after the latest spate of lawmaker arrests this month.

“The scandal isn’t what’s illegal,” said U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara, who is prosecuting the latest corruption and bribery cases. “The scandal is what’s legal.”

His comment shows a careful reading of news reports from Albany for decades. Here, corruption arrests prompt press releases, new laws, new ethics boards, re-election of incumbents on “clean up Albany” platforms — and more corruption.

But today, as in past anti-corruption furors, powerful legislative leaders and Gov. Andrew Cuomo aren’t considering the many bedrock measures that could change Albany forever. These include term limits and taking away pensions, both of which are supported by more than 80 percent of voters.

Other daily practices not being addressed include:

  • Campaign fundraisers attended by lobbyists who earlier in the day tried to persuade officials to vote for or against legislation.
  • The tradition of hand-delivering campaign financial disclosure forms to avoid a charge of mail fraud in Albany’s confusing gray area of what’s illegal and what’s allowed.
  • A better-than-90-percent return rate for incumbents benefiting from taxpayer-paid staffs, brochures, photographs and media broadcasts.
  • A Republican Senate majority and Assembly Democratic majority that drew its own election districts to protect its power in 2011, after lawmakers and Cuomo promised to adopt nonpartisan redistricting.
  • Thousands of bills each year passed only in one chamber that have no chance of becoming law but that placate lobbyists and campaign contributors.

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