Tour Stop in Buffalo Profiles Corrupt Former Pols as Examples of Corrupt Culture in Albany
Buffalo, NY – 15 former corrupt politicians were profiled today in Buffalo at a rally in Niagara Square as part of a two-day, nine-stop tour dubbed the “Caravan of Corruption: a Decade of Dirty Dealings” in an effort to highlight the need for publicly financed Fair Elections in New York.
The profiled politicians, presented as life-sized cutout caricatures, included former Senators Pedro Espada, Joe Bruno, Hiram Monserrate, Nick Spano, Carl Kruger, Vincent Leibell, and Efrain Gonzalez, and Guy Vellela; former Assemblymembers Anthony Seminerio, Diane Gordon, Brian McLaughlin, Roger Green, Clarence Norman, and Gloria Davis; as well as former Comptroller Alan Hevesi. These 15 represent a comprehensive list of former state-level elected officials who have been convicted on corruption-related charges in the past decade.
Attendees were greeted with a copy of “The Corruption Chronicle,” a special-edition tabloid that detailed each ex-politician’s story of corruption. Participants also filled out postcards to be mailed to their local legislators, encouraging passage of a publicly financed Fair Elections system.
“New Yorkers are sick and tired of the current culture that exists in Albany, where money talks and the people are ignored. They demand a system that is responsive to all New Yorkers regardless of their capacity to cut fat checks,” said Karen Scharff, Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York. “New York has two choices. We can either continue on with our current campaign finance system where a decade of dirty dealings becomes two then three decades and CEO campaign contributors buy our elections, or we can dramatically reform that system by passing publicly financed Fair Elections to put New Yorkers back in control of our democracy.”
“Until campaign finance reform happens, our political system will continue to be a mess with corrupt politicians serving their donors and lobbyists rather than the needs of the people they represent,” said Sue Gillick, a member of Citizen Action of New York. “Since running for office is outrageously expensive in our current system, elected officials have to be more concerned about fundraising instead of the interests of Buffalo and other communities across the state. The time has never been better for reform now that we have a governor who supports Fair Elections in New York State.”
“If we believe that elections should be the cornerstones of democracy, then it follows that money in elections must be transparent and limited if the opportunities for the average citizen to not only vote without interference but also to participate as a candidate if they so choose,” said Paul Schuh, UAW Region 9 NYS CAP Director. “This is and should be considered a fundamental principle to assure that the citizenry is assured equal access and voice in governmental affairs.”
“Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. 74% of the people of New York have spoken. Money is not speech, and we do not consent to corruption,” said John Washington of Occupy Buffalo. “We demand Fair Elections Now.”
“Western New York’s desperate need for economic development will not be realized until our politicians are able to run viable campaigns with donations from the community, instead of a few huge donations from the super-rich,” said Meghan Miller, Art as Action task force leader with NOAH (Niagara Organizing Alliance of Hope). “It’s time that New York have a system of Fair Elections that puts the people back in charge and ends the culture of corruption in our Capitol.”
“In political corruption, the first sign is not always in the transfer of money. An example is the issue of fracking in New York State. The same politicians who sought the vote of the people have yet to do the will of the people, but often float suggested positions favorable to corporate interests. We need Fair Elections so that our voices are heard over the loud wallets of corporations,” said Jim Anderson, Vice President of Citizen Action of New York.
The Caravan of Corruption is a project of the Fair Elections for New York campaign (www.fairelectionsny.org). Research for the project was provided by the Center for Working Families (www.cwfny.org). The Caravan was coordinated by Citizen Action of New York (www.citizenactionny.org) and other Fair Elections campaign partners. More information on the Caravan of Corruption can be found at www.caravanofcorruption.org.
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